The Mets will have one less starting pitcher to try and sign this offseason.
Right-hander Dylan Cease is signing a seven-year, $210 million deal with the Toronto Blue Jays pending a physical, according to multiple reports. The deal will include deferrals, The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal reports.
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The move immediately makes the Blue Jays, a World Series team in 2025, more dangerous to the Yankees and the rest of the American League. Cease will likely lead a rotation that already includes Kevin Gausman, former AL Cy Young winner Shane Bieber, young phenom Trey Yesavage and Jose Berrios.
Cease is coming off a relatively down year, pitching to an 8-12 record and a 4.55 ERA across 32 starts. His strikeout rate was still very high (11.5) and he has 200-plus strikeouts in each of the past five seasons.
The Mets will now look elsewhere for potential starting pitching. President of baseball operations David Stearns has made it known that upgrades to the rotation are a priority for the team this offseason. Framber Valdez, while not necessarily on the team’s radar, is arguably the top remaining free agent starting pitcher this winter. Michael King, Ranger Suarez and Japanese star Tatsuya Imai are also still available.
As for the trade market, the Mets could look to bring in Sandy Alcantara or Edward Cabrera from the Miami Marlins, or Brewers ace Freddy Peralta. And then there’s two-time AL Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal, who is on an expiring contract, could be available from the Tigers for the right price.
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