Padres Ace Predicted to Land Blockbuster $160 Million Deal in Free Agency

Sep 1, 2024; St. Petersburg, Florida, USA; San Diego Padres pitcher Dylan Cease (84) is taken out of the game by manager Mike Shildt (8) against the Tampa Bay Rays during the sixth inning at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images | Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images

The San Diego Padres are having an excellent spring.

After a quiet offseason to start things off, fans have been thanked for their patience in the form of a talent-filled February seeing many key signings, especially in the pitching department.

More news: Who Will Be the Padres' Opening Day Starting Pitcher?

With the key signings of Korean Baseball Organization's Cy Young award-equivalent winning southpaw Kyle Hart as well as veteran right-hander Nick Pivetta, the rotation looks fierce.

There are also the existing pitching talents of Michael King, Yu Darvish, and Dylan Cease.

Cease is a name that, especially this offseason, comes with a lot of uncertainty in San Diego.

He enjoyed an incredible first season in San Diego going 14-11 with an ERA of 3.47 over 189.1 innings. His 224 strikeouts to only 65 walks helped him earn a WAR of 4.2 over his 33 starts.

The uncertainty that Cease brings is that the front office, who made it clear this offseason they would love to shed payroll, has dangled him in trade rumors since November. While nothing is guaranteed in baseball, one latest contract prediction sees Cease inking a huge pay day.

More news: MLB Insider Provides Eye-Opening Update on Dylan Cease, Michael King Trade Talks

Cease has finished in the top-five for the Cy Young award twice in his career and is easily a difference-maker on the mound. Whether it is with the Padres or not, CBS Sports' R.J. Anderson theorized what kind of contract the ace will receive as he hits free agency next offseason.

The prediction is a five year, $160 million deal which is an AAV of $32 million.

"Cease has maintained this whole 'right-handed Blake Snell' thing for years now," Anderson wrote. "It's not a perfect comparison for my purposes because Snell had better statistics and more prestige entering last winter (what with winning two Cy Young Awards and all). Nevertheless, there's enough validity to it for me to employ Snell's contract (and specifically his present-day value) as a template."

With the kind of numbers Cease put up last season, fans will hope that this hypothetical contract is signed to keep him playing in San Diego. However, only time will tell what happens with the constant trade rumors surrounding the talented right-hander.

More news: Padres Predicted to Trade $13.8 Million Ace to NL Rival in Blockbuster Move

For more Padres news, head over to Padres on SI.