DEAL COMPLETED: NY Mets Have Officially Meet Padres Asking Price For Veteran All- Star Pitcher

During a comprehensive structural change, San Diego Padres general manager A.J. Preller has placed several of his top players on the trade market. The Padres have considered offers for Luis Arraez, Dylan Cease, and possibly Michael King.

The New York Mets are interested in the Padres’ fire sale. This offseason, the Mets strengthened their roster by bringing back Pete Alonso and Juan Soto. However, their pitching staff may use some development. According to rumours, the Mets are interested in signing Dylan Cease to anchor their rotation alongside Kodai Senga. Cease had a respectable 3.47 ERA last season. In 2022, Cease had a career-low 2.20 ERA, a figure he had never reached in any previous season.

Nonetheless, this is the performance that teams want to trade for. But what exactly are the Padres asking for? The solution is “too much.”

The Mets cannot afford the Padres’ asking price for Dylan Cease.
In a New York Post article (subscription needed), MLB insider Jon Heyman explains what the Padres are after. Heyman ranked Mets prospects Brandon Sproat (No. 1), Jett Williams (No. 2), and Luisangel Acuña (No. 12), with the latter performing extraordinarily well in the majors during a brief time in 2024. But there’s a significant problem with this request.

According to Heyman, in conversations with the White Sox over Garrett Crochet, the Sox want both Sproat and Williams. The Mets, meanwhile, walked away from the table.

And this circumstance is very different from the Crochet case. Crochet has two years remaining on his deal. Cease has one. If the Mets aren’t willing to give up two top prospects for Crochet, offering the same or higher price for Cease makes no logic.

Cease’s poor track record is another reason to be concerned. next his Cy Young-worthy season in 2022, Cease had an unimpressive 4.58 ERA the next year. Cease’s 3.47 ERA this season was his second-lowest figure.

Cease is still a fantastic arm with tons of potential. But if this asking price remains, Cease will not be in the Mets’ rotation next season.