The Chicago Cubs have been linked to starting pitcher Dylan Cease since last offseason as rumors stretched into spring training and even into the trade deadline in the summer. Entering this winter as a free agent the Cubs were once again linked to Cease, but the right-handed pitcher isn't returning to the organization that initially drafted him out of high school.
Instead, Cease has reportedly signed a huge seven-year, $210 million contract with the Toronto Blue Jays.
That initial figure has blown some fans away as Cease's free agent projections topped out in the $180 million range, so seeing the 30-year-old pitcher pass the $200 million mark is certainly a surprise.
However, the giant deal does include deferred money that actually brings down the current value of the deal to about seven years for $182 million. That figure means the most because it's what gets factored into a team's luxury tax payroll and Cease's contract will have an AAV of about $26 million according to early reports.
Cubs Cease Spring Training Rumors
Are the San Diego Padres actually going to make a blockbuster trade a few weeks before the start of the regular season? I mean, the obvious bet is no, but the chances are never at zero with A. J. Preller running the show. Hell, he traded for Dylan Cease exactly one year ago today, working out a deal with the White Sox for the stud righty in the middle of March.
Cease's name was heavily included in trade rumors a couple months ago, but those talks died down with the start of spring training. However, because of pitching injuries popping up across the league Cease has resurfaced in trade rumors.
Earlier this week Jon Heyman reported in the New York Post that up to nine teams have checked back in on Cease and have shown at least some sort of interest in trading for the right-handed starting pitcher. The Cubs were among the nine teams named by Heyman.
Adding another front-line starter has always made sense for the Cubs this offseason. They flirted with multiple teams to get another high-quality arm, but obviously none of those talks led to any movement. The major additions to the rotation depth instead came via free agency as the Cubs signed lefty Matthew Boyd and later in the winter Colin Rea.
Not exactly huge moves, which is why fans were always kind of looking toward a bigger acquisition. When rumors of the Cubs looking at Cease back in January became public the supposed asking price from the Padres was absurd. All the Padres wanted for Cease was top Cubs prospect Matt Shaw, plus a pitcher. Of course, those talks were dead on arrival and two months later Cease remains with San Diego.
The Cubs are currently Ben Brown to begin the 2025 season. He's competing with Jordan Wicks and Rea for the final starting job, which became more wide open after Javier Assad's oblique injury that delayed the start of his spring training.
I don't doubt that the Cubs are still interested in Cease, but seeing as though the righty is a free agent following this season they're obviously not going to go crazy in trade negotiations. The ask of Shaw was always insane and obviously he's not going anywhere, as Shaw is the projected starting third baseman next week against the Los Angeles Dodgers in Japan.
While I wouldn't be too shocked if Cease was traded within the next few weeks, I still don't think those chances are very high. However, come July? Yeah, it'll depend where the Padres sit in the standings, but that's when you should expect the trade rumors to really heat up. And well hopefully the Cubs are in a position to be seriously involved.
But now? This Heyman report seems like good spring training fodder for fans as they wait for real games to start.
