The Boston Red Sox have had a busy offseason, signing third baseman Alex Bregman and beefing up the starting rotation by signing Walker Buehler and trading for Garrett Crochet. They are also in the mix for San Diego Padres ace Dylan Cease, but it appears that a pairing seems unlikely.
The Red Sox are not likely to acquire Dylan Cease
According to Rob Bradford of WEEI, a trade for Cease isn’t likely because the Red Sox are not willing to give up right fielder Wilyer Abreu in a potential deal.
“In other news, per sources, Dylan Cease to the Red Sox is a long shot. Sox have no intention of including Wilyer Abreu in any such deal,” Bradford posted on X.
Cease has been one of the top pitchers in all of baseball over the past few seasons, and the Padres have shown a willingness to move him to shed payroll. Cease is set to make over $13.7 million this season before becoming an unrestricted free agent next offseason.
Cease pitched to a 3.47 ERA and struck out 224 batters in 189.1 innings pitched with the Padres last season. As time continues to pass, it seems more likely that Cease will remain in San Diego at least to start the season, and they could use him given that Joe Musgrove won’t pitch in 2025 after undergoing Tommy John surgery.
The Red Sox view Abreu highly
As for Abreu, the Red Sox view the 25-year-old highly after a strong rookie season. He hit 15 home runs, with a .781 OPS and won a Gold Glove award in the outfield. While it is interesting that they are backing off a trade because they don’t want to give up a rookie outfielder, there is merit behind it.
As previously mentioned, Cease is set to hit the open market after this season, so unless a trade came on the contingent of an extension, the ace would only be a one-year rental. The Red Sox are still building for the future and bringing in Cease might not move the needle to make them better than the other teams in their division.
Ultimately, it remains to be seen if Cease will be moved before the start of the season, but it seems like the Red Sox are out on the right-hander.