The San Diego Padres, naturally, made a massive trade deadline splash Thursday, but could it impact the future of Dylan Cease?
The Padres traded away several top-tier prospects to the Athletics, acquiring closer Mason Miller and starting pitcher J.P. Sears in a blockbuster move Thursday.
That trade, according to ESPN’s Buster Olney, could have domino effects that could ultimately impact the Cubs:
Sources: Robert Suarez and Dylan Cease likely to be on the move now that the Padres have landed Mason Miller and J.P. Sears.
— Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN) July 31, 2025
Cease is a name Cubs fans are undoubtedly familiar with. He was one of the top prospects traded to the White Sox in the 2017 deal that sent José Quintana to the North Side, and all he did on the South Side was finish as a Cy Young runner-up in 2022, racking up 792 strikeouts and a 43-35 record in 123 starts with the White Sox.
He is also a free agent at season’s end, and in recent days he was linked to the Cubs by MLB Network’s Jon Heyman.
Olney also reminded fans that the Cubs could be interested in acquiring Suarez as well, as they continue to look to bolster their bullpen.
Robert Suarez is making $10 million this year — meaning he’s owed about $3.3 million for the rest of this season — and he holds $8 million player options for 2026 and 2027, which he may well reject given his performance. Tigers, Mariners, Cubs, Yankees, Astros among the many…
— Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN) July 31, 2025
Suarez has a 3-4 record and a 3.43 ERA in 47 games this season, with 47 strikeouts in 44.2 innings. He was an All-Star for the second consecutive year, and has racked up 30 saves for the Padres during the campaign.
He has player options of $8 million for both the 2026 and 2027 seasons, but the Cubs do have more payroll flexibility available in coming years, meaning that they could decide to take a chance on the 34-year-old.