It’s February of 2024 and the Chicago White Sox still have Dylan Cease on their roster. The eyes of the MLB world are keeping watch over them as they ponder whether to cash in on a trade. After seeing what it took for the Baltimore Orioles to land Corbin Burnes from the Milwaukee Brewers, the package it would take to get him is taking shape.
According to Bob Nightengale of USA TODAY Sports, the White Sox were offered a trade similar to the one for Burnes — plus a little more since he has more contract control — but they rejected it.
Nightengale writes the following: “The Chicago White Sox believe that the Milwaukee Brewers’ return of young lefty D.L. Hall and shortstop Joey Ortiz for Corbin Burnes should be the floor in what they should receive in return for ace Dylan Cease. The Orioles offered basically the same package for Cease, along with another player. Cease, who is earning $8 million this season, however has two years of control compared to Burnes’ one season.”
This just goes to show how reluctant the White Sox are to part with Cease, who had a meager 2023 season but has established himself as a high-level starter over the prior few seasons. Although their core of players is falling apart and numerous teams are showing interest in Cease, they have yet to fully start rebuilding. It’s best that they trade him before he has just a lone year of contract control, as his value will have greatly diminished by then.
The trade market should be good for the White Sox moving Cease, as there have been plenty of other good pitchers already signed or traded. It would be best to take advantage of teams not having yet signed Blake Snell and Jordan Montgomery, two of the top remaining free-agent starting pitchers.
But if it’s not to Chicago’s liking now, the franchise must take advantage of it at the 2024 trade deadline. Dylan Cease is 28 years old — he’s not sticking around for the rebuild. What he can do is kick it into action by garnering additional assets for the White Sox in a trade.
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