Chicago White Sox ace Dylan Cease could be on the move.
While we wait patiently for MLB free agency to kick it into high gear, the same can be said for the trade market. There have been a handful of notable trades made this winter, as players like Tyler Glasnow, Juan Soto and Chris Sale have all changed teams. However, one of the most talked about offseason trade targets is still with his current squad. That player is Chicago White Sox starting pitcher Dylan Cease.
He's not still with the ChiSox because there's a lack of interest in his services. Part of it is because top-tier starting pitchers remain available via free agency. Those who out on guys like Sh?ta Imanaga, Blake Snell and Jordan Montgomery could help kickstart the Cease rumor mill in full force. Another reason why the right-hander still hasn't been traded is that Chicago's asking price is quite high.
The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal reported on January 5 that a trio of American League East teams and two other National League clubs have been in the mix for Cease. These teams include the New York Yankees, Baltimore Orioles, Boston Red Sox, St. Louis Cardinals and Los Angeles Dodgers.
Bob Nightengale of USA Today mentioned in his weekend notebook that Chicago has had recent talks with New York, Baltimore and Los Angeles, but nothing is close regarding a trade. Nightengale said the White Sox are looking for two "premium" prospects, as well as two additional ones in any deal they make.
Although Nightengale essentially said Chicago is in no rush to back off their current demands, Rosenthal notes that a Cease trade is "virtually certain" to happen.
Why is Cease viewed as such a valuable trade target for rotation-needy teams? The 28-year-0ld did have a rough 2023 season (4.58 ERA and 1.42 WHIP in 177 innings), but he flashed ace potential between 2021 and 2022. Across 349.2 innings, Cease produced a 27-15 record to go along with a 3.01 ERA, 1.18 WHIP and 453 strikeouts. This included a 2.20 ERA and a second-place finish in American League Cy Young Award voting in 2022.
He also still has two seasons of team control left before hitting free agency. MLB Trade Rumors is projecting an $8.8 million salary for Cease in 2024, so he could bring a lot of value to any team if he recaptures some of that 2022 magic he produced in the Windy City.
