The San Diego Padres have their top two pitchers, Dylan Cease and Michael King, headed for free agency this winter. The Padres don’t have the financial flexibility to sign both to new contracts, so they’ll likely need to pick one and pursue him aggressively. It seems like it’ll be King, as he’s expected to be much cheaper.
But that likely leaves Cease headed for a new team in free agency.
MLB.com recently put together a poll of 46 voters, and they were asked to predict where each of the top free agents would sign. Cease’s poll was a bit cloudy, but the voters favored the New York Mets as the top landing spot for the star righty.
“A dozen teams received at least one vote regarding where Cease might land in 2026, with the Mets edging out the Cubs,” MLB’s Mark Feinsand wrote. “If the North Siders do sign Cease, it would be a full-circle moment for the 29-year-old right-hander who was drafted by the Cubs in the sixth round in 2014. Three years later, he was traded to the crosstown White Sox, with whom he made his big league debut in 2019.
“Cease has at times looked like one of the very best pitchers in the sport. At other times, he struggles with his control and run prevention. He was the runner-up for the AL Cy Young Award in 2022 after logging a 2.20 ERA and 227 strikeouts over 184 innings. He finished fourth for the NL Cy Young Award while with the Padres in 2024.”
Cease’s free agency could go multiple different ways, but it seems like it’s going to depend on where the top position players on the market land. If the Mets aggressively go after hitters in free agency, they might not have the money for a big contract like the one Cease is likely going to sign.
But signing Cease should be one of the Mets’ top priorities. He’s a star with the capability of being the Mets’ ace for the next few seasons.
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