The New York Mets faced (and beat) the New York Yankees in their offseason battle for Juan Soto. Now that both teams are in need of starting pitching assistance, they may also face off against Dylan Cease of the San Diego Padres.
According to Buster Olney of ESPN, the Padres and the Mets have discussed Cease, and he also mentioned several AL East teams. The Yankees are among the AL East teams that have made inquiries, and there’s good reason to think so.
Dylan Cease, a surprising addition to the starting pitching market, will be eligible for free agency at the end of the current season.
To complete a deal, the Yankees won’t need to move George Lombard Jr., and the Mets won’t need to trade Jett Williams. However, the Mets will need to make an offer that may be more than what Mets supporters would want in order to outbid their crosstown rivals and the other suitors in the league (and persuade the Padres to sell him away).
The Mets will receive Tylor Megill and two position player prospects in return for Cease, a pitcher they believe will help them win the World Series.
Megill had a 3.95 ERA in 14 starts, but he was having some trouble before going on the injured list due to a sprained elbow. He should return sometime in August. Despite his career-long inconsistency, he is a reliable enough fourth or fifth starter who would also provide an extra two years of inexpensive club control. He is an important component.
Drew Gilbert, the main player in the transaction that sent Justin Verlander to the Houston Astros in 2023, will also join the Padres in addition to Megill. Although Gilbert’s reputation has dropped since that trade, he has had a respectable season in Triple-A and can contribute to a Padres outfield that is in desperate need of depth.
Last but not least, despite being the team’s No. 17 prospect according to MLB Pipeline, Jacob Reimer’s value has soared this season due to his.865 OPS in 82 games, 21 of which have been at Double-A Binghamton. He is a good tertiary piece for the Padres to acquire, but he won’t be ready for Major League Baseball until at least next season.
Why the Mets should take a chance on Dylan Cease
Even though Cease isn’t having a fantastic year, there are signs that things will be better soon. He had a 4.64 ERA in 20 starts going into Wednesday’s action, but his FIP was more than a full run lower at 3.49. He has become very unlucky. Additionally,
Cease has a.328 BABIP against opponents, a career-high 8.4 percent walk rate, and a 30 percent strikeout rate that is the most since 2022. Cease has pitched like the frontline arm he always has, albeit with some terrible luck, albeit he has given up more home runs than normal.
In light of that, he ought to significantly improve this Mets rotation. It sounds like a winning formula to start Clay Holmes as depth and Cease, Kodai Senga, Sean Manaea, and David Peterson in October.
Given David Stearns’ performance, the Mets are unlikely to retain him for the long run, but Cease is perhaps the best starting pitcher traded before the deadline. Even if it costs a lot, this is the kind of move clubs undertake in an attempt to win the World Series. I hope Stearns will see it through to completion.
