The biggest question mark surrounding the New York Mets after their historic offseason was their starting pitching. But that question mark became a much larger concern on Feb. 17 with the Mets electing to shut down free-agent signing Frankie Montas because of a lat injury.
But Bleacher Report’s Zachary D. Rymer suggested the Mets could find a solution on the trade market with San Diego Padres starter Dylan Cease.
“A bunch of teams have been connected to Cease, including the Twins, Mets and Cubs relatively recently. The latter two are especially sensible fits for him.”
Cease has finished in the top five of Cy Young voting twice in the past three years. With the Chicago White Sox, he was second for the Cy Young in 2022 behind winner Justin Verlander.
Last season, Cease went 14-11 with a 3.47 ERA. He also supported a 1.067 WHIP and 224 strikeouts in 189.1 innings with the Padres. That was good enough for fourth in NL Cy Young voting.
Mets to Acquire Starting Pitcher After Frank Montas Injury?
The Mets pitching rotation isn’t in complete dire straits with the Montas ailment. On Feb. 18, SNY’s Danny Abriano described the rotation as having very high upside.
But high upside also often comes with risk. There’s a lot of risk with the Mets rotation entering the 2025 campaign.
Without Montas, the Mets’ top three starters are Kodai Senga, Sean Manaea and Clay Holmes. All three have ace potential or “nasty stuff” but none of them have been a reliable starter for a full MLB season.
The Mets also have other question marks on the pitching staff with David Peterson and top prospect Brandon Sproat.
The last thing New York should want is to experience an inconsistent first half of the season because of its pitching staff. Montas could return in May, but it’s more likely he will be ready to pitch in the MLB sometime during June.
Why Dylan Cease Could Fit With the Mets
If the Mets acquire a pitcher before the MLB regular season, they don’t need another arm with high upside. A pitcher who can be a reliable starter every five days will be much more useful.
Obviously, Cease has upside as a multi-Cy Young finalist. But his reliability is what the Mets need. Cease has pitched at least 165 innings in each of the past four years.
Last season, he set a new career high with his 189.1 innings.
Cease is likely to be one of the more reliable options available on the trade market for the Mets. The Padres have experienced ownership issues this offseason. As a result, pundits have mentioned San Diego stars as trade candidates throughout the offseason.
Cease is set to make $13.75 million for the 2025 season. He will be an unrestricted free agent after 2025.
Abriano argued the Mets shouldn’t acquire Cease if it means the team giving up Sproat or fellow prospect Jett Williams. But he implied Cease should be on the team’s radar.
“The Mets should be even more fervent when it comes to possibly getting the Padres to agree to a package for Dylan Cease that is more reasonable — if San Diego is even willing to have that conversation right now,” wrote Abriano.
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