In fact, Jon Heyman reports that there are at least six teams who have reached out to the Padres lately: four AL East teams (the Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees, Tampa Bay Rays and Toronto Blue Jays) plus the Chicago Cubs and New York Mets.

Cease, continued his own uneven campaign, adding more uncertainty to his immediate future with the San Diego Padres.

Amaya is a gem, but the Cubs are loaded at catcher, with the reliable Carson Kelly locked in as the go-to starter and Reese McGuire as a solid backup. And lest we forget, 21-year-old phenom Moises Ballesteros is waiting in the wings.

The Mets, who are expected to upgrade their rotation before the July 31 trade deadline, have also been linked to Pirates right-hander Mitch Keller. The 29-year-old is posting a 3.53 ERA and 1.16 WHIP over a league-leading 21 starts for Pittsburgh.

The Toronto Blue Jays could try to trade for San Diego Padres starting pitcher Dylan Cease at the MLB trade deadline.