The Chicago White Sox are still searching for the perfect trade partner for right-hander Dylan Cease, and general manager Chris Getz doesn't appear to be in any rush.
"We've had conversations about Dylan Cease, but I also know that we're not going to move a player like Dylan or anyone else unless we feel like we're going to benefit," Getz said on a zoom call with reporters Tuesday. "It's got to be a right fit for certainly all parties.
"A lot of these conversations are ongoing. There's a lot that goes into any sort of trade transaction. There's a lot of conversations, build-up, research and obviously getting it to the finish line. As part of the offseason, we'll continue to do that to find ways to get our club better."
Cease, who recently turned 28 years old and still has two years left of team control, has attracted a wide range of interest on the trade market, with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Atlanta Braves, Cincinnati Reds and Baltimore Orioles being among teams that have been in talks, according to league sources.
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The Dodgers', though, may not be as interested in Cease as they were in November after signing Shohei Ohtani and Isoroku Yamamoto paired with an extension following a trade for Tyler Glasnow. Similarly, the Braves' acquisition of Chris Sale may have taken them out of the market, as well.
The Orioles, who still have a wealth of prospect capital, may be the bet fit as of right now.
"In the case of Dylan, I don't think that there's a club out there that hasn't expressed some level of interest in him, and all of their situations are different," Getz said. "So when you bring up some of these higher-profile players and the impact it may have on Dylan and others, I think that applies to some, but not all. Every organization has different types of players. Those players, how do they apply to your club? Those are all different factors that go into making a decision. If we feel like there's a fit that improves our club, we'll strongly consider it."
As far as what he wants in return, Getz said he's looking to improve the club in both the short-term and long-term.
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"For sustainability, it's important, if you're able to find a trade, that you want it to help you both in the short-term and long-term," he said. "So potentially, there could be players that go to our Minor League system, [and players who] certainly could help our major league club. You certainly want this to be a balancing attack. You hope that you're able to benefit immediately. Sometimes that's not the case. We're looking for ways to get better, both short-term and long-term."
While the market has moved at a slow pace, it seems clear Getz won't budge for anything less than a solid return.
"It's ever evolving in terms of the urgency of other clubs," Getz said. "It could be in the offseason. It could be at the deadline. It could be in May. There's just so many different factors when you're talking about 29 other clubs.