The Boston Red Sox’s offseason can be described as a success. The team bolstered their starting rotation by trading for Garrett Crochet and signing Walker Buehler. To top things off, the Red Sox signed former Houston Astros third baseman Alex Bregman to a three-year, $120 million contract. With the Baltimore Orioles not spending big and the Toronto Blue Jays once again missing out on top free agents, the Red Sox made moves that increased their odds to win the AL East in 2025.
But could Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow have one more move planned ahead of Opening Day?
Underdog Fantasy’s Jared Carrabis was asked by a Red Sox fan if he believed the team would make a deal with the San Diego Padres for Michael King due in part to the injuries to their starting rotation. Carrabis said he believes the Red Sox want Dylan Cease.
I think they want Cease.
— Jared Carrabis (@Jared_Carrabis) February 15, 2025
We must stress that Carrabis didn’t mention that the Red Sox are going to make a move for Cease. Carrabis did, however, express his belief that the Red Sox “want” Cease when asked about the potential of acquiring King.
This comes with the Red Sox dealing with injuries to their starting rotation. Kutter Crawford suffered a setback with patellar tendon soreness, while Brayan Bello is dealing with shoulder soreness, but is back to throwing.
The Padres are in some unfamiliar territory. Usually big spenders and throwing out lucrative offers to free agents, the Padres have taken a quiet approach this offseason. That can be attributed to the ongoing power struggle amongst the Seidler family. For the most part, the Padres didn’t make any major signing. That was until they gave former Red Sox pitcher Nick Pivetta a four-year, $55 million contract.
The Pivetta signing did add some more intrigue this offseason, especially with the Padres listening to offers for Cease and King. Cease is under contract for the 2025 season and then, he hits free agency. Meanwhile, King has a mutual option for the 2026 season.
The Padres have let it be known what they are looking for in return for Cease. The New York Mets reportedly inquired about Cease, but the Padres wanted Brandon Sproat, Jett Williams, and Luisangel Acuña, three of their top prospects.
What makes the Red Sox an interesting landing spot is the fact that they gave up four of their top 15 prospects for Crochet. If the Padres are aiming high, the Red Sox would have to pay a premium of prospects for him.
Last season, Cease recorded a 3.47 ERA, a 1.067 WHIP, a 14-11 win-loss record, 224 strikeouts, and 65 walks in 189.1 innings.
It will be interesting to see if the Padres will ultimately move Cease elsewhere, especially ahead of Opening Day. But it appears the Red Sox do have interest in him.
