Cardinals Among Teams Linked To Padres Ace Dylan Cease

The St. Louis Cardinals have a long offseason ahead.

St. Louis hasn't been to the playoffs since 2022 and is coming off a season in which it had just 78 wins. The Cardinals sold off pieces ahead of the trade deadline and there are question marks surrounding the front office with Chaim Bloom taking over. Last year, the Cardinals made it clear that they wanted to cut the payroll. With Bloom now in charge, the team has at least made it known that it will be on the lookout for starting pitching this offseason, but it's hard to believe a splashy addition is coming. Pretty much every veteran on the roster has been floated in trade talks and the team seems to be a bit away from contention.

Despite all of this, MLB.com's Mark Feinsand actually floated the Cardinals among the potential suitors for San Diego Padres star Dylan Cease.

Insider links the Cardinals to Padres ace Dylan Cease

Sep 24, 2025; San Diego, California, USA; San Diego Padres starting pitcher Dylan Cease (84) delivers during the second inning against the Milwaukee Brewers at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Denis Poroy-Imagn Images | Denis Poroy-Imagn Images

"The list of teams that could pursue Cease is lengthy; after all, nearly every club could use another solid starter in its rotation," Feinsand said. "Two teams unlikely to be in the mix are the Dodgers and Yankees, who have a plethora of starters and will likely focus their attention elsewhere, but other big-market teams could make a push for Cease. The Phillies might lose Suárez to free agency, while the Blue Jays face the loss of Chris Bassitt and Max Scherzer this winter (and potentially Kevin Gausman the following year) and the Astros appear likely to move on from Valdez...

"Other clubs that could pursue Cease include the Nationals, Cardinals and Orioles, while a return to San Diego can’t be ruled out, either. Despite the potential red flags, the majority of executives we spoke with believe Cease remains one of the top available arms this winter – and that his market will back that up."

Cease is a talented pitcher. He has a 3.88 career ERA in 188 starts with the Chicago White Sox and Padres. He didn't have his best season in 2025 with a 4.55 ERA in 32 starts, but he's a workhorse and is just 29 years old. It would be great to have a pitcher like Cease on the roster. But, the Cardinals aren't one or two pieces away from contention and Cease clearly will have a wide market, per Feinsand.

Right now, Spotrac is projecting Cease's market value to be just over $158 million across six seasons. That seems a bit high for the Cardinals right now. Maybe they could surprise in Bloom's first offseason leading the charge, but this one seemingly can be filed as a pipe dream.

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