Insider pours cold water on New York Mets trading for San Diego Padres ace Dylan Cease
New York Mets fans shouldn’t get their hopes up about acquiring ace Dylan Cease from the San Diego Padres.
New York Post MLB insider Jon Heyman reported Thursday that the Mets have reached out to the Padres about Cease, one of baseball’s premier pitchers. While the Chicago Cubs also expressed interest, the Padres reportedly prefer the Mets’ prospect offerings.
“While [Chicago’s] prospect list is ranked higher, with highly regarded third-base prospect Matt Shaw understandably off-limits in rental deals, the Padres may prefer the Mets’ list, including Brandon Sproat, Jett Williams and Luisangel Acuña,” Heyman wrote.
Cease has established himself among baseball’s elite starters. Over six seasons with the Chicago White Sox and Padres, he has made 156 starts, compiling a 57-46 record with a 3.75 ERA and 114 ERA+. The right-hander has struck out 1,016 batters in 847⅓ innings, averaging 10.8 strikeouts per nine innings, while accumulating a 15.9 WAR and earning two top-five Cy Young finishes.
While Cease would immediately slot in as the Mets’ ace, another MLB insider suggests tempering expectations.
According to The Athletic’s Will Sammon, a Mets trade for Cease is “unlikely right now” due to the required prospect package. Cease would be a rental acquisition, as he becomes a free agent after the 2025 season.
“The price tag for Cease can always evolve. In theory, the cost should be higher now than closer to the trade deadline because a team would receive a full season’s worth of Cease’s production,” Sammon reports. “The price for Cease is also higher now than at the deadline because any team that acquires him now would gain the right to make him a qualifying offer and receive draft-pick compensation.”
Sammon adds that the Mets feel confident about their current rotation despite lacking a true ace. Their starting five consists of Kodai Senga, Sean Manaea, Frankie Montas, David Peterson, and Clay Holmes, who earned All-Star honors as a reliever with the New York Yankees.
While circumstances could change, Cease appears unlikely to call Queens home in the immediate future.
