Should Texas Rangers Show Trade Interest in Padres Ace After Starter's Injury?

Entering spring training the Texas Rangers touted their starting pitching depth, so much so that the franchise considered taking Jon Gray for a spin as a closer.

Now? Well, the depth is fraying just a bit.

Left-hander Cody Bradford was shut down earlier this week with elbow soreness and will not pitch for at least the next week. He won’t be ready for opening day. Tyler Mahle, the right-hander that recovered from Tommy John surgery in 2023, was bumped from a start for forearm soreness, though is MRI was clean.

The Rangers still have Jacob deGrom, Nathan Eovaldi and Gray. Jack Leiter has been terrific this spring, while top prospect Kumar Rocker has been working to find his location after a rocky start in exhibition games.

The Rangers have depth, but that depth can be tested in a hurry. So, should the Rangers stand pat or make a move? Logically, the Rangers would like to stick with what they have and ride out the minor injuries. But in a game where minor injuries become major injuries quickly, perhaps striking a deal for one of the game’s top pitchers makes some sense.

The New York Post reported that at least nine teams have shown interest in San Diego Padres starting pitcher Dylan Cease. The report named the Chicago Cubs, the New York Mets and all five AL East teams. Two other suitors went unnamed, but it’s likely those teams consider themselves contenders.

Cease will be one of the most popular names in trade rumors this season. He’s a Cy Young-level pitcher who is entering the final year of team control and signed a relatively friendly $13.5 million deal with the Padres in the offseason. For a pitcher of Cease’s caliber, that’s affordable. The price only goes down as the season continues.

The Padres consider themselves contenders. In a report from the San Diego Union-Tribune, the Padres would only consider dealing Cease for a significant offensive upgrade. One could read that as a Major League slugger with a track record. The Rangers have plenty of slugging, but no one that feels expendable without hurting the offense.

A deal may not be in the cards right now, even if the Rangers were interested. But a deal now would have one benefit. The Rangers would get a full season out of Cease. That was the logic president of baseball operations Chris Young used for trading for reliever Aroldis Chapman in June of 2023 as opposed to waiting for the trade deadline. He wanted an extra month from the veteran.

The Rangers are likely to stand pat until they know more about their own staff. But reaching out to get a feel for how the Padres’ feel about what they want would be useful either now or at the trade deadline. Texas should show interest but not commit unless they get the right deal.

What would any team get in Cease? He went 14-11 with a 3.47 ERA in 33 starts with 224 strikeouts and 65 walks. He finished fourth in NL Cy Young voting.

Before the Padres, he was with the Chicago White Sox for five seasons, where he gave them consistent performances once he gained a foothold in the rotation in 2021. His best season was in 2022 when he finished with an AL-best 6.4 wins above replacement while going 14-8 with a 2.20 ERA. He struck out 227 and walked 78. He finished second in AL Cy Young voting.

For his Major League career, he is 57-46 with a 3.75 ERA with 1,016 strikeouts and 359 walks.

A rotation of deGrom, Eovaldi and Cease at the top seems like a fantasy team. The Rangers should, at minimum, inquire to see if it can become reality.

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