There have been plenty of rumors linking the Boston Red Sox to several players to help bolster the lineup and starting rotation.
Players like slugger Teoscar Hernández, infielder Alex Bregman and pitchers Max Fried and Corbin Burnes have been rumored to be a few of the Red Sox’s top targets. Another name surfaced on Tuesday, according to MLB Network’s Jon Morosi.
“The Red Sox are among the teams with interest in Dylan Cease,” Morosi posted on X. “He is an option for them on the trade market if Burnes and Fried sign elsewhere.”
According to The San Diego Union-Tribune’s Kevin Acee, the Padres are looking to cut their payroll. Cease is entering his age-29 season with San Diego and is projected to make between $13 million and $14 million in 2025, the final year of arbitration eligibility.
“Among their numerous conversations at this week’s winter meetings are some with other teams regarding starting pitcher Dylan Cease,” Acee wrote on Tuesday. “There is no indication any deal is imminent. League sources characterized those talks as being anywhere from trying ‘trying to unload Cease’ to the Padres being ‘open to’ trading the right-hander.”
Cease made at least 32 starts for the Chicago White Sox and Padres over the last four seasons, with a career 3.75 ERA. No other starter in MLB has made more starts over the last five seasons than Cease (142).
Audacy’s Rob Bradford also floated the idea of Boston making a trade for Arizona Diamondbacks’ Zac Gallen.
Gallen had a 14-6 record with a 3.65 ERA across 28 starts with the Diamondbacks in 2024. He surrendered just 13 home runs in 148 innings of work with 156 strikeouts.
If the Red Sox miss out on Fried or Burnes, adding Cease or Gallen to the rotation might be a perfect fit.
