Dylan Cease linked to 1 NL contender in trade talks
Apr 5, 2023; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago White Sox starting pitcher Dylan Cease (84) sits in the dugout before the first inning against the San Francisco Giants at Guaranteed Rate Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-USA TODAY Sports
The Chicago White Sox may be willing to trade star pitcher Dylan Cease, and one team has already reached out to talk about it with them.
The Los Angeles Dodgers have had preliminary talks with the White Sox regarding a potential Cease trade, according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today. The Dodgers’ aggression stems from a major need for pitching help.
Cease emerged as a potential trade target earlier this month, with the White Sox finally accepting that a major rebuild may be necessarily. He profiles as one of the few Chicago players that could net a big return in a trade, as he only turns 28 in December and remains under team control for two more seasons. Like most of the White Sox, he had a down season in 2023, but posted a 2.20 ERA and finished second in AL Cy Young voting in 2022.
The Dodgers are linked to pretty much every star player that could feasibly be available. Cease makes more sense than most, however. 35-year-old Clayton Kershaw was essentially the team’s most reliable pitcher in 2023, and the entire rotation essentially collapsed in the playoffs. In Cease, they could be finding an anchor for years to come.
