The Boston Red Sox have a new-look rotation ready to take the AL East by storm in 2025, but they might not be done rounding it out just yet.

According to MassLive.com’s Sean McAdam, the Red Sox have spoken with the San Diego Padres about possibly trading for starting pitcher Dylan Cease. Boston’s interest is leaning more towards “due diligence” than “aggressive pursuit,” per McAdam, but there have at least been preliminary discussions of some kind.

Cease has been at the center of trade rumors for weeks, as the Padres are reportedly looking to cut payroll in 2025. The 29-year-old right-hander inked a $13.75 million deal to avoid his final round of arbitration, setting him up to hit free agency in November.

In 33 starts last season, Cease went 14-11 with a 3.47 ERA, 1.067 WHIP, 224 strikeouts and a 4.2 WAR, placing fourth in the NL Cy Young race.

Cease already got moved as part of a blockbuster trade between the Padres and Chicago White Sox during last year’s spring training, costing San Diego multiple top prospects. The 2022 AL Cy Young runner-up had gone 34-24 with a 3.54 ERA and 1.257 WHIP across the prior three seasons, averaging 32 starts, 222 strikeouts and a 3.9 WAR each year.

If the Padres are willing to sacrifice an ace in hopes of avoiding the luxury tax and recouping young talent, then dealing Cease could certainly be on the table.

McAdam theorized that the Padres could have interest in outfielder Wilyer Abreu as part of a potential return package. The 25-year-old Abreu, who has five seasons of club control remaining, won a Gold Glove and finished sixth in AL Rookie of the Year voting in 2024.

Despite the promise Abreu has shown so far, he could be viewed as expendable once top prospect Roman Anthony reaches the majors. The Red Sox already signed center fielder Ceddanne Rafaela to an eight-year, $50 million contract extension last spring, while left fielder Jarren Duran is coming off his first All-Star appearance.

Boston traded for another now-former White Sox ace in Garrett Crochet in December, just before the front office went out and signed Walker Buehler and Patrick Sandoval. Lucas Giolito, a former White Sox standout himself, is set to rejoin the Red Sox’s rotation after missing all of 2024 recovering from Tommy John surgery.

Sandoval underwent UCL surgery of his own last summer, though, so he won’t be able to start games in Boston until after the All-Star break. The oft-injured Garrett Whitlock has been moved to the bullpen, too, while Nick Pivetta left in free agency to join the Padres and James Paxton retired.

Pulling the trigger on a trade with the Padres would likely lock in a six-man rotation of Cease, Crochet, Buehler, Giolito, Tanner Houck and Brayan Bello for the Red Sox. Kutter Crawford could then get moved into a long relief role, unless San Diego wants him and his four years of club control as part of the swap.

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