Red Sox May Pursue $13 Million Padres Ace Instead Of Corbin Burnes, Per Insider

Things are getting desperate over here...

Sep 13, 2024; San Francisco, California, USA; San Diego Padres pitcher Dylan Cease (84) pitches during the first inning against the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park. Mandatory Credit: Stan Szeto-Imagn Images / Stan Szeto-Imagn Images

And so it comes down to this. Either the Boston Red Sox land Corbin Burnes, the last and most expensive starting pitcher remaining on this year's free-agent market, or disappointment abounds.

Not so fast, says one insider.

Clearly, losing Max Fried to the New York Yankees is a shock to Red Sox fans' systems, and losing Burnes would be another gut punch. When your team needs an ace, pledges to spend money, yet can't seem to close a deal, it's the farthest thing from a good feeling.

However, there may be an unexpected trade on the horizon that could land the Red Sox the ace they have been looking for. And unlike Burnes, they won't have to spend upwards of $250 million to seal the deal.

Late on Tuesday, Jon Morosi of MLB Network reported on X that the Red Sox were interested in trading for San Diego Padres star Dylan Cease, who finished fourth in National League Cy Young voting this season.

"The Red Sox are among the teams with interest in Dylan Cease," Morosi wrote. "He is an option for them on the trade market if Burnes and Fried sign elsewhere."

Cease, who turns 29 this month, is coming off a 14-11 season with a 3.47 ERA. He's not the most consistent hurler from game to game, but when he's at his best, he's untouchable. He struck out 224 batters in 184 1/3 innings this season, the third-most punchouts of any pitcher in baseball.

Plus, Cease threw a no-hitter this season, something no Red Sox pitcher has done since Jon Lester in 2008.

If Boston can somehow land Cease, it will erase any current pain about the loss of Fried and the potential loss of Burnes. But trades are far more complicated to facilitate than free-agent signings, so there's never a guarantee that this backup plan works... until it does.

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