ORLANDO — It’s no secret the Mets need an ace, and the club hasn’t been shy about their desire for one either. But in a thin free agent pitching market, the question is whether they’re willing to go against their usual philosophy of short-term contracts to acquire one.

Dylan Cease and the Toronto Blue Jays set the tone for starting pitchers this winter with a seven-year, $210 million contract. Over the last five years, the Mets have avoided signing pitchers to contracts with more than 2-3 years of term. This trend precedes the hiring of David Stearns to the president of baseball operations role at the end of the 2023 season.

This year, the Mets might have to buck that trend to fill out their rotation. As the Winter Meetings get underway in Orlando, the prices for pitchers have come to

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