Chicago White Sox pitcher Dylan Cease is one of the hottest commodities on the MLB trade market this winter, and according to an MLB insider, there could be as many as six teams vying for his services.
In an interview with NBC Sports Chicago’s Chuck Garfien, MLB Network’s Jon Morosi said that the odds are “heavily in favor” of Cease being dealt by the White Sox as they look to rebuild their roster.
“There’s a very strong chance Dylan Cease does get traded, whether it happens this week or next week or the following week. I would say that the odds are heavily in favor of Cease being moved,” he said. “One of the quickest ways you can (reshape the roster) is by trading a controllable starting pitcher.”
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Along with the Atlanta Braves, who are looking to bring the hometown Cease back to the south, Morosi also mentioned the Cincinnati Reds, Baltimore Orioles and Los Angeles Dodgers as possible landing spots for Cease, and said that the San Francisco Giants could get involved if they fail to land Shohei Ohtani or Yoshinobu Yamamoto.
The favorite, in Morosi’s eyes? The Orioles.
“Their farm system is so good, and their need for pitching is so clear that I think that Dylan Cease to Baltimore is where I’m going to predict that winds up. It makes sense on paper for a number of reason,” he said.
As for what the return could be for Cease, Morosi says that the expectation is that the team can get two top-100 prospects for the pitcher, given that he has multiple years of team control left and has a reputation for being able to make regular lengthy starts.
After finishing as the Cy Young runner-up in 2022, Cease struggled at times in the 2023 season, with a 7-9 record and a 4.58 ERA in 33 starts for the South Siders.
Cease is arbitration-eligible this offseason, and won’t be a free agent until the conclusion of the 2025 season. He is expected to make around $8.3 million, according to projections from Spotrac.