Proposed Baltimore Orioles Trade Would Finally Land Their Next True Ace

A proposed Baltimore Orioles trade with the San Diego Padres would finally bring another true ace to the starting rotation.

Oct 9, 2024; San Diego, California, USA; San Diego Padres pitcher Dylan Cease (84) throws in the second inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers during game four of the NLDS for the 2024 MLB Playoffs at Petco Park. | David Frerker-Imagn Images

The Baltimore Orioles entered this offseason in need of a true ace.

While they have brought in pitching help, there is still not a top dog in the room following the departure of Corbin Burnes.

With just a couple of weeks before Spring Training, is it too late for the Orioles to address this?

Bleacher Report's Zachary D. Rymer says not to count out the team just yet, as he listed them as one of the top spots to trade for San Diego Padres ace Dylan Cease.

Along with naming them a top landing spot, he also put together a hypothetical trade that would be ideal for Baltimore.

His proposed deal would see the Orioles acquire Cease in exchange for outfielder Heston Kjerstad and pitching prospect Chayce McDermott.

It's a win-win deal since Baltimore would get their ace for the season and the Padres would get back two young, but pro-ready players who could potentially earn sizable roles in their first years with that team.

This would also allow the Orioles to get past a trading window without moving on from Samuel Basallo and Coby Mayo.

Cease is certainly a player who is worth giving up that much capital, but he's entering the last season of team control, so they might not have to.

The 29-year-old hurler has made at least 32 starts in the last four seasons and has a career ERA of 3.75. He is a strikeout machine thanks to his killer slider.

That is the kind of pitcher they need leading the staff with Burnes gone. Having Burnes locking things down helped their season out so much in 2024 given the chaos behind him on the staff that took place because of injury.

Zach Eflin, who would likely be the Opening Day starter, is a fantastic No. 2 pitcher, but he would be a somewhat disappointing lead guy.

Giving up Kjerstad would hurt, but it's something that might just need to be done at this point.

He is sitting behind the starting outfielders, wasting so much value on the bench if he can't get everyday playing time.

Shipping him away to bolster the roster in other spots makes much more sense.

McDermott, currently the third-best prospect in Baltimore, is a similar case.

The 26-year-old has boasted large strikeout numbers for multiple seasons in row, but has never had much control, something that's hindered his ability to get a true shot in The Show.

Moving on from McDermott to give him the chance at finally break into the Majors for a new team would be a solid move.

If the Orioles could get Cease for this package, it's hard to imagine they wouldn't do it.