The Yankees aren’t the only New York team involved in the sweepstakes for Chicago White Sox ace Dylan Cease.
Enter, the Mets.
According to The New York Post’s Joel Sherman on Friday, the Mets “continue to check in on” Cease as they consider him among many options to enter their rotation. While they are not considered the favorites, per Sherman, the Mets would consider the White Sox’s asking price of “three premium prospects” because Cease is not a one-season rental. The 28-year-old will become a free agent in 2026. MLB Trade Rumors projects Cease to earn $8.8 million in arbitration this offseason.
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From Sherman: Cease would be the kind of piece that would help fill the Mets’ twin objectives – to be competitive in 2024 and begin to push harder in 2025 when David Stearns has a clearer picture of what he has in the organization …”
The Athletic reported earlier Friday that the Yankees are “sincere” about their pursuit of Cease, though they are not a favorite, either. Both reporters consider the Baltimore Orioles as the best fit because of their high-end minor league system. It’s unclear at this point which teams the White Sox are engaged with or, more specifically, which prospects the White Sox are eyeing from any of the suitors, which also include the Los Angeles Dodgers, St. Louis Cardinals and Boston Red Sox, per The Athletic.
Cease, a hard-throwing righty with a wipeout slider, recorded a 4.58 ERA/3.72 FIP last season. He struck out 27.3% of the batters he faced, ninth among major league starters. He has thrown at least 165 innings in each of the past three seasons, including 2022, when he was the runner-up for the AL Cy Young with a 2.20 ERA. In his career, Cease has a 3.83 ERA, and the ninth-highest strikeout rate (29.8%) over the past three seasons.
Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns added Luis Severino and Adrian Houser this offseason to a rotation that includes Kodai Senga, José Quintana and Tylor Megill, but it still needs work to stay in the NL East race with the loaded Atlanta Braves and Philadelphia Phillies.
