Dylan Cease's name has been tossed thoroughly around the MLB trade rumor mill since the offseason started.
But sending the once Cy Young runner-up to another club might have to wait until the MLB trade deadline, according to ESPN's Buster Olney. Rival executives believe the White Sox will try to leverage his value by holding onto him.
“There is no pressure on them to lower their asking price,” one executive told Olney. “They’ll get what they want at the (trade) deadline.”
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Remember, newly-appointed general manager Chris Getz could be puppeteering Cease's narrative to generate more value for him. Even with Olney's report, that same possibility exists.
But Getz has mentioned he doesn't feel rushed to trade Cease. He wants to get the best value for him.
"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."
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Recently, the White Sox avoided arbitration with Cease, signing him to an $8 million deal for this season. That's part of the attraction for Cease. He's under club control for another two seasons, including the 2024 season.
Even more so, Cease is a phenomenal pitcher. Despite a less-than-stellar-outing in 2023, he proved his worth in 2022, generating a near-perfect season-long performance. He threw for nearly 200 innings, holding a 2.20 ERA over his starts. He also struck out 227 batters that season.
That being said, Getz won't give up Cease for anything. He won't budge for a less-than-perfect offer for his ace.
"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 in early January. "It's got to be a right fit for certainly all parties.
"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."