In a slow-moving free agent market, White Sox general manager Chris Getz has expressed reluctance to trade some of the team’s most valuable pieces despite saying earlier in the offseason that the roster does not contain any outcasts.
Perhaps expressing the greatest interest of any South Siders on the market is former Cy Young runner-up Dylan Cease, who recently turned 28 and still has two years left to lead the team.
Cease has attracted a wide range of interest on the trade market, with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Atlanta Braves and Cincinnati Reds among the “several” teams that have expressed interest in the right-hander.
While the free agent market is still relatively slow, several pitchers at all levels of the market have found homes in 2024.
Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Aaron Nola have all signed long-term contracts, while mid-rotation options such as Eduardo Rodriguez and Kenta Maeda have also moved to new teams.
Even pitchers viewed as reclamation projects are starting to exit the market, with arms like Jack Flaherty and Frankie Montas being signed by clubs looking to fill out their 2024 rotation.
This movement in the free agent market will likely narrow the pool of potential suitors for Dylan Cease in a trade as well.
While the Dodgers have been rumored to be interested in Cease, with their signings of Ohtani and Yamamato coupled with an extension following the Tyler Glasnow trade, the World Series favorites may not be as enamored with Cease as they were in November.
Likewise for the Atlanta Braves, the recent trade to acquire Chris Sale followed by a two-year extension filled a hole in their rotation, casting further doubt on Atlanta being a destination for the White Sox right-hander.
Although Cease’s age and background coupled with the White Sox’s openness to trading him bode well in the market, suitors who might have paid the highest price may have moved on.
Despite this, Cease remains a fit for several other teams that may be in the market for starting pitchers this offseason.
The Baltimore Orioles, who still have a wealth of prospect draft capital, could look to the holdout as a way to replace veteran infielder Kyle Gibson, who signed a one-year contract with the St. Louis Cardinals as a free agent.
The New York Yankees, San Francisco Giants and Texas Rangers are all teams that represent a viable prospect for Cease, while the Milwaukee Brewers are also a club armed with prospects that could look to fill the gap in the rotation.
Even though some pitchers are off the board, Getz can still point to the big return needed for Tyler Glasnow and Manuel Margot that the Tampa Bay Rays acquired in the trade, as Cease is two years younger with another year of team control.
While the market for Cease has moved at a snail’s pace, it’s reasonable to expect the White Sox to make a right-hander move for a solid return.
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