The New York Yankees may be plotting a sneaky swing at the trade deadline — and the target might surprise you.
As rumors swirl and contenders start sharpening their focus, Dylan Cease has emerged as a possible late addition to the market.
Buster Olney of ESPN suggests the San Diego Padres could move the 28-year-old starter, and the Yankees have the ammo to engage.
While most eyes are fixed on rental arms like Seth Lugo or veterans nearing the end, Cease represents something different entirely.
Even in a down year by his standards, Cease brings the kind of upside that playoff rotations are built on.
Cease’s surface stats don’t tell the whole story in 2024
On paper, Cease is battling a rough season, carrying a 4.64 ERA across 108.2 innings with the Padres so far this year.
That number alone might make fans hesitate, but the Yankees should be looking well beneath the surface on this one.
Despite that ERA, Cease owns a sparkling 11.51 strikeouts per nine innings — an elite rate few starters can touch consistently.
His underlying metrics point to much better performance, especially when isolating contact quality and sequencing variance.
A 3.46 expected ERA suggests Cease has been on the wrong end of some bad luck and poor batted-ball outcomes.
Elite strikeout numbers highlight his dominance potential
Cease still ranks in the 94th percentile in whiff rate and 89th in strikeout rate — those are frontline starter indicators.
He’s also inducing chases at an elite clip, ranking in the 89th percentile in chase rate, often fooling hitters with late movement.
Even when hitters make contact, it’s rarely clean — but when they do connect, it’s where the damage has come from.
That tradeoff, while imperfect, is often manageable when paired with the strikeout upside Cease brings every fifth day.
For a team like the Yankees, chasing October hardware, those swing-and-miss metrics carry real postseason weight.
The price will sting, but the reward could be playoff gold
My assessment suggests a possible package might include Elmer Rodriguez Cruz, Roc Riggio, and JC Escarra — a steep cost for a rental.
But impact arms don’t come cheap, and Cease has already proven he can pitch like an ace when he’s locked in.
The Yankees have taken gambles before, but Cease offers a higher ceiling than many of the “safer” veteran options.
He’s the kind of arm that could thrive under Matt Blake’s guidance, refining his command and maximizing his pitch mix.
And while it’s only a short-term play, it’s one that could redefine the postseason rotation behind Gerrit Cole.
- The Yankees may have a surprise chance at landing Padres star pitcher
- Yankees have to address urgent deadline need before it derails their season
- The Yankees can upgrade rotation with Royals expiring ace
With Cease, the upside outweighs the inconsistency
The Yankees desperately need rotation depth with playoff juice, and Cease provides exactly that — even with a few blemishes.
Like a sports car that needs a little tuning, the raw horsepower is already there; it just needs the right garage.
If the Yankees believe in their pitching development — and they should — Cease could be a perfect deadline splash.
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