The Chicago Cubs are one of six teams interested in acquiring San Diego Padres starting pitcher Dylan Cease, according to Jon Heyman of the New York Post. Through 21 starts, the former Cy Young runner-up has a 4.59 ERA in 113.2 innings pitched. Consistency comes in many forms, and while Cease and surely Chicago would like to see his performance improve, his ability to toe the rubber every fifth day cannot be overstated.
Cubs Showing Interest in Padres' Dylan Cease at Trade Deadline: Report originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
The Chicago Cubs are one of six teams interested in acquiring San Diego Padres starting pitcher Dylan Cease, according to Jon Heyman of the New York Post.
Cease, 29, has not been as impressive this season as his track record may imply. Through 21 starts, the former Cy Young runner-up has a 4.59 ERA in 113.2 innings pitched. However, Cease can still provide one thing the Cubs’ rotation is lacking: consistency.
Consistency comes in many forms, and while Cease and surely Chicago would like to see his performance improve, his ability to toe the rubber every fifth day cannot be overstated. With ace Justin Steele and Jameson Taillon currently on the injured list for the foreseeable future, the Cubs need a healthy and reliable arm to take the mound every week. Since 2021, Cease has made at least 32 starts per season and totaled over 165 innings.
In a pitching market defined by a lack of top arms, Cease may be worth gambling on. He is still striking batters out at an exceptional rate with 11.4 strikeouts per nine and ranks inside the 94th percentile for Whiff rate, according to Baseball Savant.
.@JonHeyman says there's SIX teams in on Dylan Cease 🍿 pic.twitter.com/9BlfecqMy9
— B/R Walk-Off (@BRWalkoff) July 24, 2025
Cease’s Achilles Heel this season has been the long ball, already surrendering 16 home runs and on pace to give up the most in his career. Playing in a bigger park like Wrigley Field should help diminish his home run rate and, in return, increase his production
Cease, an impending free agent, also fits the Cubs' timeline of being all-in for the 2025 season and not looking further beyond that.
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 24, 2025, where it first appeared.
Category: Baseball
