The New York Mets have had a solid offseason headlined by signing Juan Soto and bringing back Pete Alonso.
Yet, New York still could look to upgrade its rotation. Bleacher Report’s Zachary D. Rymer shared a trade pitch that sees the Mets acquiring Dylan Cease from the San Diego Padres in a three-player blockbuster.
Mets acquire:
Padres acquire:
- Brandon Sproat (Mets’ No. 1 prospect)
- Drew Gilbert (Mets’ No. 7 prospect)
The proposed deal would be a blockbuster as New York would get a true ace to solidify the rotation while the Padres would acquire two top prospects.
Cease has one year left of control as he’s set to earn $13.75 million in 2025 before becoming a free agent in 2026. The right-hander went 14-11 with a 3.47 ERA in 33 starts with the Padres in 2024. He would be projected to be the Mets’ No. 1 starter as the rest of the rotation would feature Sean Manaea, Kodai Senga, Frankie Montas, and Clay Holmes, while Paul Blackburn and David Peterson would also compete for a spot in the rotation.
In return, the Mets would trade their top prospect in Sproat who’s 24 and played his first year of pro ball last season, making it all the way up to Triple-A. Last season, the right-hander went 7-4 with a 3.40 ERA in 23 starts in the minors. He could push for a rotation spot this season and replace Cease.
Gilbert, meanwhile, is an outfield prospect who was selected in the first round in 2022 by the Houston Astros. He’s now in the Mets system and could push for playing time in the majors in 2025. He made it to Triple-A last season and in 56 games he hit .215 with 10 home runs and 32 RBIs.
Analyst Explains Mets-Padres Swap
San Diego has been looking to trade Cease and Rymer believes the Mets are a logical landing spot.
New York has a need for a true ace in the rotation, while they also have good prospects who could play in the majors this season. Rymer does believe trading two of their top prospects would be tough, but would be a necessary move.
“Five members of the team’s potential six-man rotation are over 30. And of the bunch, none truly matches the description of a No. 1 like Cease does,” Rymer wrote. “This package would be difficult for the Mets to part with, but such boldness is arguably necessary if they want to keep up with the Los Angeles Dodgers in the broader NL race.”
As for the Padres, Rymer says the two prospects can contribute to its MLB roster this season which is a benefit for them.
Mets Owner Pleased With Offseason
New York has had a productive offseason landing Soto, who was the top free agent, and also bringing back Alonso to some surprise.
As the Mets approach Spring Training, owner Steve Cohen is happy with what David Stearns and the front office did this offseason.
“That’s why I hired him,” Cohen said of Stearns’ decisions over the offseason. “He’s very good at what he does. He’s very patient and disciplined and thoughtful and that’s the kind of thing you start to see paying dividends over time. We’re seeing it… David has a way of doing things that kind of really fits into my philosophy. I totally get where he’s coming from and why he’s doing what he’s doing. I share those philosophies.”
The Mets lost in the NLCS to the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2024.
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