Chicago White Sox Rumors: Rule 5 Draft, Dylan Cease, and more
Major League Baseball’s Rule 5 draft took place on Wednesday, with teams having the opportunity to add players to their 40-man roster with the requirement of keeping them on their Major League roster for the entire season.
Teams can elect to skip a selection both the Major League and Minor League portion of the draft but the Chicago White Sox did make a selection.
The White Sox selected left-handed starting pitcher Shane Drohan from the Boston Red Sox.
The #WhiteSox have selected left-handed pitcher Shane Drohan from the Boston Red Sox organization in the major-league phase of the Rule 5 Draft.
— Chicago White Sox (@whitesox) December 6, 2023
Drohan will now need to remain on the White Sox’s Major League roster for the entirety of the 2024 season or return him to the Red Sox. In some cases, teams do work out trades as a way around the Rule 5 rules.
After posting a 3.96 ERA and 3.89 ERA during his first two professional seasons with the Red Sox, Drohan struggled during the 2023 season. Drohan posted a 5.05 ERA in 27 appearances across two levels of the Red Sox’s system last season.
Los Angeles Dodgers targeting Chicago White Sox’s starting pitcher Dylan Cease
As the Los Angeles Dodgers remain the favorite to land superstar free agent Shohei Ohtani, they also are in the mix to acquire White Sox starting pitcher Dylan Cease. Talks between the Dodgers and White Sox have reached the point where Los Angeles has informed the Sox of the players they will not include in a trade.
According to multiple sources, one name that will not be moved in a potential deal is right-hander Bobby Miller, who the #Dodgers have no interest in moving. The #WhiteSox have been looking to add arms this winter. https://t.co/twpgH9kK63
— Russell Dorsey (@Russ_Dorsey1) December 6, 2023
If the Dodgers do sign Ohtani, they still will have a need for starting pitching considering the 2023 American League MVP will be relegated to designated hitting duties only during the 2024 season. A move for Cease, under that premise, would be a perfect way for the Dodgers to address that need.
The Whit Merrifield, Chicago White Sox Rumors won’t go away
In case you’re wondering, it still feels inevitable that free agent infielder Whit Merrifield will sign with the Chicago White Sox this off-season.
White Sox and Whit Merrifield could be an excellent match in free agency. Merrifield’s preferred position is 2B, where the White Sox haven’t had an everyday player post a league-average or better OPS+ since Alexei Ramírez in 2008. @MLBNetwork @MLB
— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) December 6, 2023
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