The Mets have been weighing their options in the trade market for weeks, and while Dylan Cease remains the best available starter, prying him away from the San Diego Padres won’t come cheap.
As a one-year rental, Cease is undoubtedly a high-upside acquisition, but the price tag might be too steep for a Mets front office that has been reluctant to part with top-tier prospects.
A Steep Cost for a One-Year Arm
According to Jon Heyman of the New York Post, the Padres have a clear target list if the Mets want to make a deal.
“If the Mets are going to land Dylan Cease,” Heyman wrote, “Padres targets likely include Brandon Sproat, Jett Williams, and Luisangel Acuña.”
That trio represents some of the Mets’ best young talent, which makes this potential trade a difficult sell. Sproat, a 24-year-old right-hander, posted a strong 3.40 ERA over 116.1 innings in the minors last season, striking out 10.13 batters per nine. While he dominated in Double-A, he hit a wall in Triple-A, putting up a rough 7.53 ERA in a small sample.
Williams, a 21-year-old shortstop, is one of the Mets’ most exciting prospects. He tore through the minors last season and looked fantastic in six games at Triple-A, hitting .364/.533/.545. While a bigger sample size is needed to determine if he’s truly ready for the majors, his potential is obvious. Given the Mets have Francisco Lindor at SS already, Williams could be expendable.
Then there’s Acuña, a 22-year-old infielder who showed legitimate star potential in his brief time with the Mets in 2024. Over 14 games, he hit .308/.325/.641 with three homers and six RBIs. His ability to make an impact at the big-league level makes him the toughest prospect to move, especially for a one-year rental like Cease.
The Rotation Needs a True Ace
The Mets have a surplus of arms, but outside of Kodai Senga—who is coming off an injury-shortened season—there are more question marks than sure things. Sean Manaea signed a three-year, $75 million extension, which locks him in as a key piece, but the rest of the rotation is uninspiring. Frankie Montas, Paul Blackburn, and Clay Holmes all come with inconsistencies, and the Mets need an elite presence at the top of their rotation if they plan to seriously contend in 2025.
Cease, 29, has proven he can be that guy. Last season, he posted a 3.47 ERA over 189.1 innings with 10.65 strikeouts per nine. He has durability, swing-and-miss stuff, and the experience of pitching in big games. The problem is, he’s only under contract for one more year before hitting free agency, which makes trading away a top-tier prospect a risky move.
A Deal Worth Making?
If the Mets were to part with a prospect, Sproat/Williams seems like the most logical candidate. Acuña has superstar upside, and sending him to a National League rival for a one-year rental doesn’t seem like a wise long-term play.
That said, the Mets don’t necessarily need to make this trade now. They could roll into the season with their current rotation and reassess at the trade deadline. If their pitching depth holds up, they can wait for the right moment to strike, rather than overpaying in February when leverage is at its lowest.
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The Mets have played this offseason wisely, prioritizing long-term stability while making necessary short-term additions. That strategy has worked so far, but the real test will be whether they stay patient or push their chips in for a high-risk, high-reward move like Cease.