1 red flag in all 3 players Rangers offered White Sox in Dylan Cease trade
The 3 players in the rumored Dylan Cease trade are all intriguing, but also come with their own red flags.
Trade chatter revolving around Chicago White Sox ace Dylan Cease has picked up once again. We already knew that the Yankees were interested, but the Texas Rangers reportedly threw their hat into the ring according to The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal.
It's not hard to see why the Rangers would be interested in making a deal like this. Max Scherzer, Jacob deGrom, and Tyler Mahle will all begin the year on the IL, and they've shown a complete unwillingness to bring back postseason hero Jordan Montgomery. While Cease would cost a ton in terms of assets, he's making a manageable $8 million and is under team control through 2025.
The Rangers would have the opportunity to roster Cease on the cheap for two years until they hopefully get their TV deal figured out long-term. The idea of Cease in Texas is a good one, but they have to come up with a proposal that makes sense. The one outlined in Rosenthal's article should be a non-starter from Chicago's perspective.
The deal has the Rangers sending Ezequiel Duran, Brock Porter, and Jack Leiter to the White Sox for Cease. There are some intriguing aspects to all three of those players, but there are also flaws that should make the White Sox ask for more. Much more.
The biggest red flag for UTIL Ezequiel Duran is his second-half from 2023
Ezequiel Duran put his name on the map with an unbelievable first half for the Rangers. He hit 12 home runs and posted an .870 OPS in 70 games, coming out of nowhere to be one of the most productive hitters in a lethal lineup. His second half, however, was a different story.
As pitchers got adjusted to facing the 24-year-old, he really struggled. Duran slashed .226/.296/.315 with just two home runs and 11 RBI in 50 games down the stretch. It got so bad to the point where he was omitted from their postseason roster. An everyday player who was crushing the ball wasn't even on the roster when it mattered most.
Duran is still a valuable asset who has seen time at six different positions in his short MLB career and would come with many years of team control, but his second half struggles have to be a major concern for the White Sox.
The biggest red flag for SP Jack Leiter is his minor league track record
The hype surrounding Jack Leiter led to the right-hander getting selected with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2021 MLB Draft by the Rangers. He was dominant in college and looked like a future ace. Since getting into professional baseball, however, he's had major struggles.
In his two seasons of professional baseball, Leiter has a 5.37 ERA in 43 appearances (42 starts) and 177.2 innings of work. Perhaps the Rangers starting him in AA is the reason for his struggles, but he has looked completely lost since arriving in the Rangers system. Despite his struggles in AA, Leiter earned one start in AAA to finish out his season. It did not go well, as he allowed three runs on eight hits in 3.1 innings of work.
He'd be a solid piece for Chicago to get and hope they can get the most out of him, but he's far from a headliner now. His entire minor league career has been a red flag.
The biggest red flag for SP Brock Porter is his command issues
The best part of this deal for Chicago would be landing Brock Porter, a pitcher with all kinds of potential. Porter is the No. 4 prospect in Texas' system according to MLB Pipeline and is on the top 100 list as well.
The right-hander made his professional debut this past season and did not disappoint, posting a 2.47 ERA in 21 starts and 69.1 innings of work. He allowed a sparkling 5.1 H/9 and just one home run, proving he's incredibly tough to square up.
While his 95 strikeouts in under 70 innings were obviously elite, Porter did issue 42 free passes, which is an issue. It's not as big of an issue when he doesn't allow many baseballs to be put in play much like Blake Snell, but he was also just in Single-A. When Porter moves up in the system, he's going to have to locate better, or else he might see his numbers really fall off. He's easily the best piece of the three, but that doesn't mean there's no concern.
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