It seemed the Boston Red Sox had finished making big moves after signing Alex Bregman to a three-year, $120 million deal.
However, only days after Bregman arrived, there were whispers of yet another possible blockbuster trade involving the Red Sox.
Sean McAdam of MassLive reported on Sunday that the Red Sox “are in communication” with the San Diego Padres regarding a trade for starting pitcher Dylan Cease. Cease would provide Boston with an additional impressive pitcher in its rotation, making the team a true contender in the American League.
However, Red Sox supporters might want to refrain from envisioning that considering the most recent update on the matter.
“In other updates, according to sources, a trade of Dylan Cease to the Red Sox seems unlikely,” WEEI’s Rob Bradford posted on the X platform Monday. “The Sox do not plan to involve Wilyer Abreu in any such transaction.”
The Red Sox rotation appears to be in solid condition due to the offseason acquisitions of Garrett Crochet and Walker Buehler, alongside Tanner Houck, Brayan Bello, Lucas Giolito, and Kutter Crawford.
Incorporating Cease into that group could potentially make it the top starting rotation in the majors, however. Cease has been among the top pitchers in baseball over the past few seasons and is a durable player, achieving four consecutive seasons with a minimum of 32 starts. The 29-year-old right-handed pitcher finished the season with a 14-11 record, a 3.47 ERA, a 1.067 WHIP, and 224 strikeouts over 189 1/3
The expense to obtain Cease is likely significant due to his elite skills, and it’s an avenue the Red Sox may avoid since they previously traded a large number of prospects to the Chicago White Sox for Crochet. However, in contrast to Crochet, Cease has limited team control since he will be a free agent after this season.
That doesn’t appear to align with what the Red Sox management is aiming to build as they strive to be competitive now while also being patient for their young talents to develop.
