The Padres may not be able to re-sign them all as they face payroll issues while several of their star players are turning free agents after this season. This includes Dylan Cease, who is on a one-year, $13,750,000 contract, but has a projected market value of $108.8 million, according to Spotrac. However, given his All-Star pedigree, he might be in line to earn a premium on that.
According to Dennis Lin of The Athletic, there is not a lot of optimism among team insiders that the Padres could sign Cease to an extension. He is in line for a big check and the Padres might not have it for him.
"After the World Series, King is expected to decline a $15 million mutual option and attract much larger offers on the open market," Lin wrote in a story for The Athletic. "Team officials do not foresee much of a chance that Cease, another pending free agent and a Scott Boras client, stays in San Diego. There is greater hope that King re-ups in the city where his career has taken off. But there is no delusion."
While his current season record stands at 5-10 with a 4.52 ERA, his recent form has been stellar, posting a 1.14 ERA over his last two starts. Meanwhile, the Padres are poised to enter the postseason this fall. Any stellar performance there and Cease will see his value go up.
Apart from Cease, the Padres also need to deal with two other important pending free agents: Michael King and Luis Arraez.