It's one of baseball's worst-kept secrets that the Boston Red Sox are looking for starting pitching at the trade deadline.
Is there an ace on the market? The Red Sox are interested and willing to talk. How about a broken veteran with limited appeal? Boston wants in, always looking for more depth.
Sometimes, though, when the crunch of the trade deadline rolls around, it helps to pursure players you've already scouted and are familiar with. Luckily, a longtime Red Sox target, Dylan Cease, could be made available if the Padres decide to do a little bit of buying and selling this week.
But that's not all! Though he hasn't pitched since April 2024, Shane Bieber appears to finally be available as the Guardians slip out of postseason contention.
So, will the Red Sox finally pull the trigger and make one (or perhaps both) of these trades happen?
The Padres are listening on Dylan Cease, with the Yankees, Mets, Cubs and Red Sox among teams believed to have checked in. SD is a buyer but often listens on rentals. Major long shot!
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) July 23, 2025
Shane Bieber, Dylan Cease could transform Red Sox at trade deadline
Kicking things off with Bieber, the 2020 AL Cy Young winner is finally back on his rehab assignment after being shut down in May (during his initial comeback attempt) with elbow soreness. In five innings over his two July High-A appearances, he's struck out nine and walked just one.
Still, he's not the same pitcher who won the highest pitching honor a half-decade ago, and his trade candidacy is complicated.
Part of the issue is his contract. He signed a two-year, $26 million deal with Cleveland over the offseason to remain with them while rehabbing, though only $10 million of that is due this year. This winter, he'll have a choice to opt out for $4 million or opt in for $16 million for the 2026 campaign. In conjunction with his health issues, it's hard to guess what Bieber is going to cost in a prospective trade.
For what it's worth, the last time he was healthy, he was dominant. In 12 innings in 2024, Bieber struck out 20 of the 45 batters he faced, allowing nary a run. The Red Sox can't bank on him returning to form like that, but the upside is tantalizing.
As for Cease, the elevator pitch is much simpler. A frequent Cy Young candidate over the years, the 29-year-old right-hander is having a mixed season with the Padres, recording a 4.59 ERA through 113 2/3 innings.
Dylan Cease, Dirty 85mph Knuckle Curve. 😨 pic.twitter.com/7TtnAyOwOo
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) July 23, 2025
His metrics are far better than his actual results, though, as xERA (3.48) and FIP (3.58) indicate that he's pitching far more like his ace reputation. His 94th-percentile whiff rate (33.9%) is also a strong sign that Cease hasn't lost much of his elite stuff.
As a pure rental, the 55-47 Padres would have to be swayed by a massive trade package to dislodge Cease from San Diego. Still, he's about as sure of a thing as there is at this trade deadline, and if the Red Sox fancy themselves as legitimate World Series contenders, there may not be a better way to upgrade the rotation behind Garrett Crochet.
Unless, of course, they find a way to bring in both Bieber and Cease.