The White Sox have had conversations with new clubs around the league about trades for Dylan Cease, according to several reports, including the newest from Ken Rosenthal.
There are strong, interested suitors for Cease, including the Baltimore Orioles and the Cincinnati Reds. But other new teams, according to Rosenthal, are entering the mix for Cease.
"Cease, who is under club control for two more seasons, remains an obvious target for the Reds and Orioles, who are not involved with the top free agents," Rosenthal wrote. "But he also is a possibility for other teams monitoring the trade market, a group that includes the Yankees, Giants, Braves and Rangers."
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It appears Chris Getz's reported plan to draw back conversations about Cease is working.
Before the White Sox ramp up talks with any of these teams, one domino must fall first: Yoshinobu Yamamoto. Reports from over a week ago surfaced about the White Sox "pulling back" on trade talks about Cease. The reason? The White Sox believe Cease's value will rise after Yamamoto is off the table.
Yamamoto, 25, is expected to yield a deal close to $300 million this offseason. Other blue-chip starters remain on the market, too, including Blake Snell, Shane Bieber, Shōta Imanaga, Marcus Stroman, and others.
But the White Sox aren't going to give him away for cheap. One report leaked the asking price the Sox bargained with the Reds during the MLB Winter Meetings.
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We knew the asking price for Cease would be high. And why shouldn't it? Yes, Cease returned to Earth in 2023 after a flawless 2022 season that saw him finish with a 2.20 ERA and the second-most AL votes for the Cy Young award.
But, as Levine mentioned, he has two more seasons under club control and has firmly set his ceiling on the mound. If you're a contending team looking for a boost in starting pitching, Cease should rank near the top of the list.
As such, the White Sox believe they stand in a "position of leverage" in any transaction for Cease. They're not sold on moving him immediately. Any offer they field for their ace must be enticing.
"We're in a position of leverage, because I don't think we have to trade Cease," White Sox assistant general manager Josh Barfield said at the Winter Meetings. "It's nice, you know. We have two years of control and he's a really, really good pitcher who definitely helps us next year. At the same time, we've got to be smart and we've got to listen to everything.
"If we make a move, if we don't, we're just going to be patient and wait for the right one."