MLB insider offers clarity on Dylan Cease and Michael King's immediate future with the Padres
Rumors on the market suggest that the San Diego Padres may move both starting pitchers, Michael King and Dylan Cease, before the Opening Day. There's a lot of uncertainty regarding the Padres' future especially after the club went quiet the entire offseason when they were least expected to.
The Padres still have a World Series caliber core and by no means should go for a rebuild, as per analysts. However, with an ownership dispute going on between late owner Peter Seidler's wife Sheel and his brothers, Matt and John Seidler, for controlling interest, nothing seems certain.
On Friday, MLB insider Robert Murray provided clarity on whether the Padres are looking to move from Cease and King, with both becoming free agents after the 2025 season.
"We've all seen the reports about the Padres and their involvement with Dylan Cease and Michael King," Murray said on The Baseball Insiders podcast (22:34 onwards). "I can confidently say that the Padres have not engaged in trade talks regarding Michael King. I would be very, very, very surprised if they ultimately traded him.
"Nothing is impossible by any means, but they have not engaged in any discussions, and I do not expect him to be traded. With Cease, there's nothing cooking there either. We'll see if anything changes between now and Opening Day, but nothing is imminent. I would not be surprised if both of those guys were on the roster come Opening Day."
Latest rumor mill on Padres thinking to trade Dylan Cease and Michael King
On Jan. 27, MLB insider Ken Rosenthal said that the Padres are actively listening to trade offers from different teams for Dylan Cease and Michael King.
The same day, analyst Pat Ragazzo noted that the Padres' asking price for Cease is high and that King, who's also available, could go to the Mets.
On Thursday, Bleacher Report's Zachary D. Rymer floated a trade idea that would see the Mets receiving Cease in exchange for two prospects in right-handed pitcher Brandon Sproat (Mets No. 1) and outfielder Drew Gilbert (Mets No. 7).
"This package would be difficult for the Mets to part with, but such boldness is arguably necessary if they want to keep up with the Los Angeles Dodgers in the broader NL race," Rymer said.
As such, the best scenario for the Padres would be to wait for how their season starts. If they start on the wrong foot, they could trade away their two pitchers, but until then, it would be in their best interest to reserve Cease and King until the right offer comes along.