Dylan Cease who? Top Mets prospect ready to shine after Frankie Montas injury

The Mets should turn to Brandon Sproat to replace Frankie Montas in the starting rotation.
All-Star Futures Game
All-Star Futures Game | Richard Rodriguez/GettyImages

Frankie Montas signed a two-year deal with the New York Mets over the offseason. The team was hopeful he could resurrect his career with their pitching lab, similar to how Luis Severino did last season. However, Mike Puma of the New York Post recently reported he will be shutting down for some time. The Mets could turn to their top prospect earlier than expected with the unfortunate Montas news.

Brandon Sproat worked his way up New York’s minor league system rather quickly in 2024. In A+ ball, he posted a 1.42 ERA and a 2.45 ERA in Double-A. The young right-hander struggled when reaching AAA but had three phenomenal starts out of his seven. Across 24 games across all levels, he racked up 131 strikeouts.

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Mets shouldn’t panic and force a Dylan Cease trade

New York is still looking to use a six-man starting rotation. Kodai Senga, Sean Manaea, David Peterson, and Clay Holmes will be the front four. With Montas out of the picture, it leaves two open spots. Tylor Megill and Griffin Canning will likely get a look but don’t count out the 24-year-old.

Sproat has a tremendous amount of upside. He has a four-seam fastball that touches the upper 90s. The Mets' top prospect also features a wicked slider with a changeup, curveball, and cutter. Over the offseason, teams were calling the Mets to try to poach the Florida native, but David Stearns didn’t budge.

Rumors have suggested the San Diego Padres are open to trading Dylan Cease. Without Montas, it could make sense for New York to offer a package. However, Cease has one year left of team control. Since Stearns took over as President of Baseball Operations, he hasn’t tried to sign starters over 30 to long-term contracts. Therefore, giving up prospects for one year of Cease would be risky.

The Mets' best option could be the waiting game. If Sproat has an intriguing spring training, giving him a rotation spot would be the best bet. New York could hold onto their prospects for a more lucrative option at the trade deadline and see what they have in the 24-year-old. If Sproat gets his chance and runs with it, the Mets would have a great pitcher for 2025 and the next six seasons. Only time will tell what Stearns decides to do. With Opening Day around the corner, we should find out soon.