The closer we get to Spring Training and, more importantly, Opening Day, it appears likely that the White Sox will not be moving ace Dylan Cease. The 28-year-old starting pitcher has been mentioned in trade rumors throughout the offseason, but no offers have moved the needle for the White Sox.
Mark Feinsand of MLB.com wrote Wednesday that a National League executive said, “I would say doesn’t get moved at this point.” The NL executive added that the White Sox aren’t “budging on price,” and teams aren’t interested in paying it.
Many have suggested #Orioles should trade for Dylan Cease.
— Jake Rill (@JakeDRill) January 18, 2024
From @Feinsand:
“I would say Cease doesn’t get moved at this point,” an NL executive said. “The White Sox are not budging on price, and teams don’t seem to have interest in paying that price.”https://t.co/bjhVL3s7Yc
This latest tidbit from Feinsad coincides with what ESPN’s Buster Olney said on X on Thursday. According to Olney, two rival executives believe that Chicago will keep Cease into the regular season and there’s “no pressure on them to lower their asking price.”
Two rival execs now believe the White Sox will wind up keeping Dylan Cease into the regular season. “There is no pressure on them to lower their asking price,” one said. “They’ll get what they want at the (trade) deadline.”
— Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN) January 18, 2024
Earlier this month, the New York Yankees reportedly expressed interest in trading for Cease, but those talks didn’t go anywhere. The Yankees signed Marcus Stroman to a two-year to help solidify their rotation.
We also heard from Bruce LeVine of 670 The Score that Chicago wanted four of the Cincinnati Reds’ top prospects in exchange for Cease in December.
The asking price for Sox pitcher Dylan Cease is very high ,and should be for two yrs control and $8 mil-contract.The Reds were asked for 4 top prospects including RHP Rhett Lowder and RHP Chase Petty. #9 and #11 position prospects as well.Sox will get more as market shakes out.
— Bruce Levine (@MLBBruceLevine) December 6, 2023
The White Sox want top-tier talent in return for Cease as they will likely be retooling this season, but they likely won’t get it until the trade deadline in the summer.
Cease is coming off an up-and-down 2023 season, where he had a 7-9 record, 4.58 ERA, and 214 strikeouts over 33 starts (career-high). If the White Sox want to move him at the deadline, they are hoping the Cease from the 2022 season shows up.
During that season, he had a 14-8 record, 2.20 ERA (career-best), and 227 strikeouts in 184 innings pitched. The White Sox don’t have a ton of expectations this season as they are +2600 on FanDuel Sportsbook to win the AL Central, but you never know how the action will play out on the field.
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