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The 2025 MLB trade deadline is rapidly approaching, and few names inspire more intrigue than San Diego Padres right-hander Dylan Cease. The Padres are taking calls on Cease, with the Yankees, Cubs, Red Sox, and Mets among the clubs known to have checked in. The possibility of the Mets prying Cease away may feel like a major long shot, but if there’s an organization positioned to swing big, it’s Steve Cohen’s Mets, particularly with a surging farm system and a roster on the edge of contention.
Why the Mets Are All-In on Cease
Dylan Cease represents exactly what the Mets’ rotation has been missing this season: upper-echelon swing-and-miss stuff and a proven workhorse who can anchor a playoff-caliber staff. As of late July, Cease has not matched his 2024 brilliance, running up a 4.59 ERA through 21 starts, but underlying numbers (xFIP 3.30) point to significant bad luck more than true regression. The 29-year-old has also racked up 144 strikeouts in 113.2 innings, showing his stuff is still as electric as ever. For a club desperate to join the National League’s elite, adding Cease could mean the difference between October dreams and another winter of what-ifs.
Despite being in the thick of the playoff race, the Padres face a roster riddled with holes, especially in the outfield and behind the plate. Meanwhile, financial constraints and an aging core have forced AJ Preller to shop established pitchers like Cease, especially given his status as a pending free agent with no extension in sight. The Padres’ approach is simple: listen on rentals, but only for offers that directly address their biggest needs and keep the club competitive in 2025 and beyond.
At the plate, San Diego ranks near the bottom-third in run production, making a playable outfield bat and a controllable, high-ceiling young starter absolute necessities in any Cease trade. There’s also value in acquiring minor league talent that’s close to MLB ready, infusing an aging roster with young, inexpensive depth.
Building the Perfect Mets-Padres Trade
The Mets, fresh off a reload of their farm, possess the blend of upper-minors talent and major league ready prospects to construct a proposal that appeals to San Diego’s ambitions. The Mets’ system, currently led by top-100 prospects Jett Williams, Jonah Tong, Nolan McLean, and Carson Benge, provides real ammunition for a deal.
Here’s what a “perfect” blockbuster offer from the Mets would look like, bold enough to sway the Padres, but just sensible enough for New York to pull the trigger on a true win-now move:
Mets receive:
- RHP Dylan Cease
Padres receive:
- SS/OF Jett Williams
- RHP Jonah Tong
- OF Drew Gilbert
- C Kevin Parada
- RHP Dom Hamel
This package is the kind of offer that could move the needle for a team aiming to thread the needle between contending now and preparing for the future. Jett Williams gives San Diego a legit on-base weapon with positional flexibility, while Jonah Tong profiles as a future top-three starter and is MLB ready by 2026. Drew Gilbert brings lefty pop and up-the-middle defense, addressing San Diego’s desperate need for an everyday outfielder.
Jett Williams last 40 Double-A games entering today: .303/.415/.525, 4 HR, 23 XBH, 13 SB, 25 K%, 15 BB%
Added this homer tonight, his 8th of the year. pic.twitter.com/5eHynHCGSt
— Aram Leighton (@AramLeighton8) July 25, 2025
Kevin Parada’s offensive upside behind the plate, combined with Hamel’s plug-and-play rotation depth, gives the Padres a five-player package that directly addresses their biggest holes. Few other suitors are positioned to offer such volume and proximity to the big leagues.
The Mets’ push for Cease is about more than just 2025. With an owner unafraid to spend and a farm that can absorb big subtractions, the Mets can afford to take bold swings. Cease immediately deepens their rotation, complementing Kodai Senga and Clay Holmes, and gives New York a potential playoff ace without surrendering phenom righty Brandon Sproat or dynamic outfield slugger Carson Benge.
Cease’s contract lasts just through 2025, meaning New York bets big on acquiring and extending or making a World Series run right away. But if that gamble succeeds, the pain of losing top prospects is quickly forgiven, and if Cease rebounds (as xFIP suggests he should), the Mets could reap the rewards well beyond October.
The 2025 trade deadline could see seismic moves that alter the National League’s power dynamic. For the Mets to land Dylan Cease, nothing less than a “godfather” offer will suffice, and with this package, New York might just have the perfect answer for San Diego’s needs. Blockbuster trades are made when desperation meets opportunity; for the Mets and Padres, that confluence might be just days away.
