The San Diego Padres are apparently listening to trade proposals for their ace, Dylan Cease, before of the 2018 MLB season. Cease is entering the final year of his contract, and it seems unlikely that San Diego will be able to re-sign him in free agency. Jim Bowden of The Athletic recently predicted that the Padres would sell Cease to the Baltimore Orioles before the 2025 MLB trade deadline. Bowden developed a potential trade package based on Coby Mayo. Here is Bowden’s whole trade proposal.
Baltimore Orioles receive: RHP. Dylan Cease San Diego Padres receive 1B/3B. Coby Mayo, LHP. Cade Povich The Orioles need a starter, and this trade could make sense.
While dealing Mayo could be detrimental, it may also make sense in this situation. Mayo has struggled in his brief stint with the major league team, and Baltimore already has two standouts at the corner infield positions. To make matters worse for Mayo, Baltimore’s top prospect, Samuel Basallo, performed admirably during spring training. Basallo is projected to dominate the minor levels this season and eventually make his way to the major leagues. Given this, Mayo will struggle to outperform Basallo at first base.
Meanwhile, if Mayo is traded to the Padres, he will have a clear shot at taking over first base when Luis Arráez leaves San Diego in free agency next winter.
The signing of Cease would be important for Baltimore, but the Orioles would need to extend him in the offseason to prevent repeating their error with Corbin Burnes. Spotrac predicts Cease will get a five-year, $108 million contract in free agency next offseason.
The Baltimore Orioles’ rotation is one of the weakest in the American League entering the 2025 season. After losing Corbin Burnes to free agency, the staff is now led by Charlie Morton, Tomoyuki Sugano, and newly signed Kyle Gibson. With Grayson Rodriguez on the disabled list to begin the season, Zach Eflin will start on opening day. The Orioles’ lack of depth forces them to seek a significant boost.
Dylan Cease’s Situation and the Padres’ Dilemma
Cease was dealt midway through spring training last year, but the circumstances were different. When he was traded to the Padres, the Chicago White Sox were in the midst of a comprehensive rebuild. While San Diego hopes to remain competitive this season, budget constraints prevented them from making major moves this offseason. The signing of Nick Pivetta on a four-year backloaded contract was their most significant addition. Cease was a major member of the Padres’ rotation in 2024, pitching 189 1/3 innings and posting a 3.47 ERA. He struck out 29.4% of the batters he faced, totaling 224 strikeouts, his fourth consecutive season above 200. The Padres and Cease agreed on a $13.75 million 
compensation for his final arbitration year.
Why It Makes Sense For The Padres
The package has enough intrigue for the Padres since it includes two players who can still contribute to the 2025 team even if they lose Cease. Povich struggled in 16 starts as a rookie in 2024, but he has showed enough promise this spring (15 strikeouts, 4 walks) to earn the fifth slot in the Orioles’ season-opening rotation. Meanwhile, Mayo is recognized for his sheer power and potential. Despite his tremendous tools, Mayo’s recent comments after being optioned to the minors indicate that he could benefit from a change of scenery. A deal like this might provide Mayo a fresh start while also adding depth to San Diego’s squad in the future.
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