CHICAGO -- Dylan Cease returned to the mound at Rate Field on Friday night for the first time since he was traded from the White Sox to the Padres 18 months ago . At the time, the move was a stunner. Not because the White Sox traded Cease -- but because San Diego came from seemingly out of nowhere to land him. (Just before the team was set to depart for its season-opening series in Korea, no less.)

In hindsight, of course, the trade made total sense. The Padres needed rotation stability, and Cease provided plenty of it. He was durable, and for the majority of the 2024 season, he was excellent, finishing fourth in voting for the National League Cy Young Award. On top of that, Cease wouldn’t reach free agency until after the 2025 season. He could, in theory, headline the Padres’ rotatio

See Full Page