The New York Yankees are once again staring down a pivotal trade deadline, and pitching help has become their top priority.
With the rotation inconsistent and the bullpen overworked, the Yankees need more than just minor reinforcements to stay in the fight.
According to ESPN’s Buster Olney, San Diego Padres starter Dylan Cease is one name the team is seriously evaluating before the buzzer.
Why Dylan Cease fits the Yankees’ desperate need
Cease may not be putting up eye-popping numbers this season, but his underlying metrics tell a more promising story.
The 28-year-old righty has a 4.59 ERA over 113.2 innings, but he’s also tallied 144 strikeouts in that span.
When you peel back the layers, Cease owns a 3.48 expected ERA, ranking in the 94th percentile for strikeout rate this year.
He’s also in the 87th percentile in chase rate and 89th in whiff rate, showing how deceptive his stuff still is.
The results haven’t matched the performance, but the swing-and-miss ability is elite and hard contact has skewed his stat line.
What makes Cease a realistic trade target
Cease is on an expiring contract, and that lack of team control will naturally lower his value on the open market.
That works to the Yankees’ benefit, allowing them to potentially land a front-line starter without giving up top-tier prospects.
San Diego reportedly wants MLB-ready talent in return, and the Yankees do have options to meet that demand.
“The Padres are looking to flip Cease in exchange for big league talent in return to plug other holes,” Olney reported.
If they’re serious about making a move, the framework for a Cease deal might already be within reach.
J.C. Escarra could headline the Yankees’ offer
One name to watch is J.C. Escarra, the Yankees’ backup catcher and one of the best defensive backstops in the league.
Escarra isn’t just a glove-first player — his bat has also shown flashes, giving him more value than many realize.
For a Padres team starved for catching help, he could be the key that unlocks a trade for Cease.
The Yankees have developed a deep catching pipeline, and moving Escarra wouldn’t significantly hurt their organizational depth.
What a potential trade package could look like
To land Cease, the Yankees might need to pair Escarra with one or two high-upside minor league pitchers.
Names like Ben Hess or Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz could be floated, depending on how aggressive Brian Cashman wants to get.
If the Padres are prioritizing near-ready talent, New York can offer arms that could slot in quickly or be developed further.
The Yankees have walked this tightrope before — trying to upgrade the MLB roster without completely gutting the farm.
Cease represents more than just innings — he offers playoff upside
Even with the volatility, Cease is the kind of arm that can take over a game when he’s on his A-game.
He’s shown flashes of ace-level stuff in the past, and the Yankees are betting on their staff unlocking that again.
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With Aaron Judge sidelined and the rotation looking thin, this may be their best shot to salvage a spiraling season.
Adding Cease won’t fix everything, but it could be the first domino to fall in a much-needed midseason turnaround.
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