There’s no doubt about it: Dylan Cease would be a massive addition to the New York Mets.
Even though the Mets have done well to rebuild their starting rotation, they’re lacking some stability at the top. Cease, a bonafide workhorse, would be the best possible addition if the San Diego Padres can be convinced to trade him.
That’s the issue, though. Even with only one year remaining on his deal and the Padres struggling financially, Cease is a tough player to let go of. That’s especially true for a San Diego team that still hopes to contend for a playoff spot in 2025.
So what would it take for the Mets to acquire Cease? Former Mets general manager Jim Duquette had one proposal that would be tough for New Yorkers to stomach.
On a recent episode of SNY’s Mets Hot Stove, Duquette proposed a hypothetical package of top utility prospect Jett Williams, starting pitcher Tylor Megill, and catching prospect Ronald Hernandez for the Mets to offer San Diego.
“If you go back a year ago, Corbin Burnes was traded from the (Milwaukee) Brewers to the (Baltimore) Orioles, and it was two major league pieces,” Duquette said. “Even though Cease isn’t the same as Burnes, it’s got to be something similar.”
“It would be a package like (this) that would at least get them interested. It seems like, right now though, Cease may not be going anywhere.”
For what it’s worth, Williams comes with much higher prospect pedigree than either player the Orioles sent to Milwaukee last year. He’s currently MLB.com’s number 58 overall prospect, whereas both Joey Ortiz and D.L. Hall were unranked at this time last year.
The Mets can definitely keep an open line of communication with the Padres in case the price drops during the season. But if the Padres are going to demand Williams, Duquette’s notion that the Mets may not pull the trigger seems more than fair.
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