Mets viewed as potential suitor for top free agent pitcher

The New York Mets could address a need in the starting rotation by taking a chance on this high-upside pitcher.

Sep 13, 2025; San Diego, California, USA; San Diego Padres starting pitcher Dylan Cease (84) throws a pitch during the first inning against the Colorado Rockies at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: David Frerker-Imagn Images | David Frerker-Imagn Images

Coming off of a brutal collapse to end 2025, the New York Mets are now positioned for what should be a hectic and undeniably crucial offseason.

For the Mets and all 27 other clubs that missed out on the World Series, October has been largely dominated by rumors and speculation regarding which players they can add to ensure that they are still playing games this time next year. While not uncommon, the stakes are especially high for the New York ballclub that is facing a multitude of key questions.

Will Pete Alonso return for his 8th season in Queens? How could Pete be replaced if he ends up leaving? Could Jeff McNeil and Brandon Nimmo be traded? Who will start at third base?

All these questions will be answered in due time, so it is easier to focus on one of the known certainties heading into the Mets' offseason: they will need a new-look starting rotation if they hope to compete deep into the postseason next year.

How will the Mets address the starting rotation this offseason?

Now, of course, this can happen in a number of ways. The most attractive and commonly discussed option has been pulling off a blockbuster deal to acquire reigning Cy Young pitcher Tarik Skubal from the Detroit Tigers.

It has been reported that Skubal's camp and the Tigers are somewhere around $250 million apart in their contract negotiations, prompting rumors that the team could look to move their superstar this offseason rather than letting him play out the last year of his deal and risk losing him for nothing.

Read More: Insiders discuss growing possibility that Mets acquire Tarik Skubal

While this seems possible, it is not a guarantee that Detroit wants to move Skubal. The reported contract discrepancy does not mean that the Tigers brass won't eventually come to the table with a more competitive deal that keeps the 28-year-old in Detroit for the long haul.

Tigers pitcher Tarik Skubal celebrates striking out Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh in the sixth inning of ALDS Game 5 at T-Mobile Park in Seattle on Friday, Oct. 10, 2025. | Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

But even if he is made available, the Tigers will be expecting a serious haul in return. For the Mets, this would almost certainly include one, if not both top pitching prospects Jonah Tong and Brandon Sproat, plus more. This underscores New York's next option, which is to stick with their young, promising arms.

Amid their slide in the second half of the season, the Mets were able to learn some things about their highly regarded "big three" pitching prospects. One thing they learned is that Nolan McLean has all the makings of a frontline starter, providing an excellent 5-1 record and 2.06 ERA in his first eight major league starts (48 IP). McLean's performed so well that he has become nearly untouchable for the Mets, not to mention their best starter at this moment.

Read More: Mets' Nolan McLean ranked as MLB's top pitching prospect

They also learned that Tong and Sproat, while still exciting talents, need more time to develop. This brings the Mets to the last and most likely option for addressing the starting rotation: free agency. With the backing of Steve Cohen, David Stearns will have the money to go sign at least one top starting pitcher. Last season, the executive whiffed on Frankie Montas and saw Griffin Canning's strong start curtailed by injury.

Mets could target free agent pitcher Dylan Cease

This year, the Mets will almost certainly dip into the free agent market to bring in a new pitcher. In an October 28 episode of SNY'sThe Mets Pod, Connor Rogers and Joe DeMayo discussed San Diego Padres starter Dylan Cease as a possible fit in New York.

As Rogers notes in the episode, Cease has been viewed as a "every-other year guy" despite being one of the top names in the free agent class.

"Some years he's a high-end number two, and other years he's more of an average number four," Rogers said. "And that's a big difference when you're probably paying out number one-ish money."

Could Dylan Cease be an option for the Mets to slot into their rotation next year?@ConnorJRogers and @PSLToFlushing on a new edition of The Mets Pod: https://t.co/XRTunGnIS4

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Cease, who will be entering his age-30 season, was ranked by CBS Sports as the third best pitcher in free agency this year behind lefties Framber Valdez and Ranger Suarez. As Rogers states, that puts him in line for a top contract despite coming off of a down year in 2025 where he posted a 4.55 ERA with just a 1.1 bWAR.

On the other hand, the right-hander impressively made 32 starts in 2025, marking his fifth straight season with at least 32 starts. Even if his play has been inconsistent, he is always available. This kind of durability was clearly absent from a Mets rotation that saw Kodai Senga, Sean Manaea, Griffin Canning, and Frankie Montas all suffer and/or battle significant injuries.

Read More: Should the Mets trade for this stellar lefty starter?

If New York does sign Cease, they will be looking at a high-upside option that is almost a guarantee for 30-plus competitive starts. Even if he does not prove to be the frontline starter that he will almost certainly get paid to be, his assumed high floor makes it easy to justify bringing the seven-year veteran in.

Ideally, the Mets can work out a one-year 'prove-it' style deal with Cease, that would allow them the flexibility to make a decision after seeing how he performs in 2026. But the unfortunate reality is that Cease will be a hot commodity on the open market, and if Stearns wants to land him, they will have to offer length and a good sum of cash.