While a lot of attention regarding the New York Yankees’ offseason has been focused on filling one final hole on the infield after Gleyber Torres’ departure, nothing has materialized. Could general manager Brian Cashman go a different route and add another ace by trading for San Diego Padres hurler Dylan Cease? The right-hander is someone the Yankees have been linked to in the past. They were interested in trading for him last winter before the Chicago White Sox shipped him to San Diego. Cease started 30-plus games for the fourth straight year in 2024 while posting a 14-11 record with a 3.47 ERA, 1.07 WHIP and 224 strikeouts in 189 1/3 innings pitched.

Despite being an important piece of the Padres’ puzzle last season, his name has been churning through the trade rumor mill once again. FanSided’s Thomas Carannante thinks the Bombers should make a trade happen if they can’t find a way to further upgrade the offense.

“What’s stopping the Yankees from offering (starting pitcher) Clarke Schmidt, (outfielder) Everson Pereira and (infielder) Jorbit Vivas?” Carannante wrote. “Or some variation of that where the Padres replenish Cease’s spot in the rotation and get prospect value for the infield/outfield after the departures of Ha-Seong Kim and Jurickson Profar?”

Schmidt posted a 2.85 ERA in 85 1/3 innings for New York in 2024 and won’t be eligible for free agency until 2028. MLB.com ranks Pereira as the Yankees’ 11th-best prospect and Vivas posted a .713 OPS in 422 Triple-A plate appearances last season. Cease is set to earn $13.75 million this season and is scheduled to reach free agency next offseason. Spotrac has pegged his current market value for a long-term deal at five years and $108 million.