The Boston Red Sox were connected in MLB rumors to starting pitcher Garrett Crochet for weeks before finally pulling the trigger on a deal in January. That was followed by months of reports that Boston was in the hunt for All-Star third baseman Alex Bregman. With both players now on board, the front office has a new target it would like to add to the Red Sox roster in 2025.
Boston has done an excellent job improving its roster this winter. In addition to acquiring Crochet and Bregman, the club signed starting pitcher Walker Buehler and reliever Aroldis Chapman. While both the starting lineup and pitching staff have been improved, the door is reportedly open to another big move.
- Boston Red Sox payroll 2025 (FanGraphs): $210 million
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According to Sean McAdam of MassLive.com, the Red Sox have checked in with the San Diego Padres on a potential Dylan Cease trade. Notably, Boston’s inquiry into the All-Star pitcher came after the team acquired Crochet from the Chicago White Sox.
Even after the Crochet deal, the Red Sox top prospects and deep farm system would be more than enough to entice San Diego. The Padres have a fairly high asking price, especially considering Cease is a one-season rental. However, the club’s recent stance on trading him has at least made it clear a deal would be difficult.
- Dylan Cease stats (ESPN): 3.47 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, 224 strikeouts, .200 batting average allowed, .601 OPS allowed in 189.1 innings pitched
For now, though, McAdams notes that the Red Sox front office seems to just be testing the waters on Cease and there aren’t active negotiations going on. While this is just a case of Boston doing its “due diligence” right now, the club does reportedly plan to monitor the Padres’ situation heading into the season.
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If San Diego decides it is willing to move Cease, then Boston could be well-positioned to make a deal. The Padres want MLB-ready talent and many of the Red Sox top prospects – Rom Anthony, Kristian Campbell, Richard Fitts, Hunter Dobbins and Jhostynxon Garcia – are either major-league-ready or could debut by the end of the 2025 season.
Acquiring Cease would also mean reuniting him with Crochet, who he was teammates with in Chicago. It would also add another front-line starter to the Red Sox rotation, giving them a legitimate shot in the American League this season.
