A year later, the Padres find themselves in slightly better standing. They are 55-49, one game ahead of their 54-50 record last July 24. They are also entering dangerous territory. The wins and losses tell a story of year-over-year improvement. The recent trend lines do not.

The San Diego Padres need to add a starting pitcher before the MLB trade deadline, and Miami Marlins starter Sandy Alcantara is a great fit.

Dylan Cease is a free agent after 2025, and the Padres appear open to trade offers. With that, here are his best trade fits.

Padres Daily: The Darvish question; offensive uptick; Merrill moves up (Kevin Acee, SD U-T) Padres announce that they’ve signed all 19 of their 2025 Draft picks (AJ Cassavell, MLB.com)

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This article was originally published on www.si.com/onsi/fantasy as MLB Mock Trade: Chicago Cubs Rent Dylan Cease, San Diego Padres Land Their Catcher of the Future. It's questionalbe when a team deals for a pitcher with a mid-season winning percentage of .230.

As usual, Preller will be one of the prime executives to watch at the deadline, pricing every available player, including his own.

The circumstances were, uh, just a little bit different five years ago when then-Padres manager Jayce Tingler called on little-known utility player Jake Cronenworth as a pinch-runner in a game against the Diamondbacks.