The New York Mets were recently told the bad news that they were out of the Roki Sasaki sweepstakes. Sasaki is reportedly down to three teams in his free agency decision.

This leaves the Mets looking for a different ace to add to their rotation.

James Nolan of FanSided recently predicted the Mets would swing a blockbuster trade for San Diego Padres ace Dylan Cease after whiffing on Roki Sasaki. In Nolan’s hypothetical deal, the Mets would receive Cease in exchange for infielder Jeff McNeil and outfield prospect Alex Ramirez.

“The San Diego Padres have shown a willingness to trade stars with one year left on their contracts. Dylan Cease has been rumored to be on the trade block all offseason, as he had one year remaining on his contract,” Nolan wrote. “They could use outfielders and prospects, especially if they lose Jurickson Profar in free agency. New York could trade Jeff McNeil and prospect Alex Ramírez in return for the 29-year-old right-hander.

“Cease is coming off a great 2024 season. He finished fourth in NL Cy Young voting after recording a 3.47 ERA across 33 starts. He finished second in Cy Young voting just two seasons ago when he posted a 2.20 ERA across 32 starts with the Chicago White Sox.”

Cease would be a huge upgrade for the Mets. New York has whiffed on pitchers like Sasaki and Corbin Burnes this winter. The best free-agent pitcher left on the market is Jack Flaherty and Cease would be a decent upgrade over Flaherty.

For the Padres, ditching Cease would be worthwhile. It’s unlikely San Diego will re-sign him next offseason, so trading him now makes the most sense.