MLB Rumors: Dylan Cease trade chatter ensues, Bregman has offers, and... Luka Dončić?

This is a baseball site, so we tend not to expand our outlook too far beyond the scope of the MLB. However, it's impossible not to look at what other leagues are doing, since all sports exist within a unique harmonium, where paradigms tend to shift in sync.

Sometimes, though, things happen that are so far beyond belief that there is almost no equivalent in other sports. The NBA just experienced one of those seismic, landscape-altering moments, as the Los Angeles Lakers and Dallas Mavericks completed an in-season swap just before the trade deadline that will have ramifications that will last for decades.

Hyperbole is a useful tool in a sportswriter's arsenal, as they helplessly try to use words to explain the enormity — or calamity — of a certain transaction, event, or injury. This trade, though, is almost impossible to hyperbolize.

It is very difficult to think of a modern MLB equivalent to that deal. Would the Kansas City Royals suddenly trading Bobby Witt Jr. to the Los Angeles Dodgers for Mookie Betts suffice? Does that even come close?

We'll cover that exact notion in an article later this week, but for now, we'll round up the biggest rumors floating around the baseball sphere, even as markets came to a freeze in the wake of the Luka deal.

Dylan Cease trade rumors heating up

It was less than a year ago that the San Diego Padres completed a mid-March swap for Cease, a surefire ace with two years of team control remaining.

Now, he's a year out from free agency, and the Padres have shown a tendency in recent years to offload these kinds of players, regardless of their quality. Remember when they shipped Juan Soto to the New York Yankees last year?

The Minnesota Twins, Chicago Cubs, and New York Mets have been the most mentioned suitors in the hunt for the Padres' ace. However, it's known that the Cubs are uneasy about sending back Justin Steele in exchange for the right-hander, and the Twins almost certainly won't part with their top prospects ahead of a prospective sale of the franchise in the coming months.

Regardless of what happens, it's clear that San Diego, who is having a very difficult offseason, needs to do something in order to juice up a roster that fell just short of the rival Dodgers in the NLDS a year ago.

Alex Bregman may not stay in Houston after all

Last week, we reported on the fact that Bregman was struggling to find interested teams on long-term deals. This is what I said at the time:

"Alex Bregman continues to seek out long-term deals, and he appears to have the most interested teams of any free agent still available. It's known that franchises like the Cubs and Red Sox want to sign Bregman on a short-term contract, but his best hope for a deal that stretches beyond four seasons may reside back in Houston."

That may now be changing, according to MLB Trade Rumors. The Astros are known to have a six-year offer out to Bregman in the $156 million range, but it's possible that two others teams also have made offers longer than five years, with one of them possibly being the Toronto Blue Jays.

Beyond Pete Alonso, there isn't a better hitter still on the market. If a team can secure Bregman — perhaps on a long-term deal at a lower AAV with opt-outs — they'll significantly upgrade themselves at a point in the offseason in which most teams are already gearing up for spring training.

MLB Rumors Lightning Round

Cincinnati Reds may be done adding

The Reds added Austin Hays (free agency) and Taylor Rogers (trade) to their roster this week, but they may be stopping there. It's hard to imagine they've done enough to close the gap between themselves and the Brewers and Cubs this offseason.

J.D. Martinez aims to play in 2025

According to Jon Heyman, J.D. Martinez, who had a big influence in the Mets' shocking run to the NLCS in 2024, wants to keep playing this season. Now 37, Martinez posted a .725 OPS (106 OPS+) in 434 at-bats last season in New York.

Fay Vincent passes away

Fay Vincent, who served as MLB Commissioner from 1989-1992, passed away this weekend due to complications with bladder cancer. Vincent was a staunchly pro-player commissioner who helped ensure the 1989 World Series — which was delayed due to the earthquakes — ensued.

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