Guardians Predicted to Swing Shocking Trade for Superstar Pitcher

Could the Cleveland Guardians shock the world by trading for this superstar pitcher during the MLB offseason?

Sep 7, 2024; San Diego, California, USA; San Diego Padres starting pitcher Dylan Cease (84) looks on after a three run second inning against the San Francisco Giants at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Chadd Cady-Imagn Images / Chadd Cady-Imagn Images

The Cleveland Guardians entered the offseason in dire need of starting pitching, and while they have made a couple of moves, re-signing Shane Bieber and swinging a trade for Luis Ortiz, they could still afford to add another arm.

The problem is that the Guardians are a very frugal organization, so the chances of them splurging in the free-agent market are slim to none.

But could Cleveland explore the trade market?

The Guardians have long been known to make shrewd trades, so that may very well be their best chance of landing an impact pitcher.

Bleacher Report's Zachary D. Rymer feels that is exactly what Cleveland will do, predicting the Guardians to land San Diego Padres star Dylan Cease.

"If not for an established star, the Padres could probably swap Cease for a top-level prospect or two," Rymer wrote. "Either way, they could use a trade to try to improve at catcher or in the outfield."

Cease is coming off of a 2024 campaign in which he went 14-11 with a 3.47 ERA, allowing 137 hits while racking up 224 strikeouts over 189.1 innings of work.

He finished fourth in NL Cy Young voting for his efforts.

The 28-year-old broke into the big leagues with the Chicago White Sox back in 2019, and by his fourth season, he had established himself as one of the nastiest hurlers in the sport.

In 2022, Cease went 14-8 with a 2.20 ERA, fanning 227 hitters across 184 frames. He just missed the AL Cy Young award, coming in second place.

The White Sox proceeded to trade Cease to San Diego last offseason.

Cease has been a bit inconsistent throughout his career, owning a lifetime 3.75 ERA, but there is no doubt that he would significantly bolster the Guardians' ailing rotation.