5 Chicago White Sox who won't be back in 2025 after Dylan Cease trade
The Chicago White Sox finally did it. After an offseason of rumors, they finally traded Dylan Cease. The destination came as a bit of a surprise with the San Diego Padres winning those sweepstakes, but Cease finally getting dealt came as no surprise. That's just that latest move that signaled the White Sox are in a full-on rebuild.
New GM Chris Getz made it clear from the onset that Cease (and really anyone on their roster) was available to be had via trade, and the White Sox have made their roster look completely unrecognizable after an offseason of rebuilding. Cease joins Tim Anderson, Liam Hendriks, Gregory Santos, and Aaron Bummer on the long list of players who have departed, and eventually, Mike Clevinger will presumably join that list as well.
Cease is just the latest of many White Sox players who are going to be gone very soon. While the White Sox might not trade Luis Robert Jr., seemingly everyone else can be had at any moment. These five players won't be back after this season.
5) The White Sox should trade Michael Kopech before it's too late
Michael Kopech is a talented pitcher who has struggled to stay healthy and has struggled to stay consistent when he does take the ball.
The right-hander has actually been mostly healthy over the last two seasons, making at least 25 starts in both years, but he's been extremely inconsistent on the mound. In 2022, he had a 3.54 ERA in 25 starts and 119.1 innings of work. This past season, that ERA rose to 5.43 in 30 appearances (27 starts) and 129.1 innings pitched.
Kopech has always had great stuff, but has also always struggled with his command. His league-leading 91 walks only emphasized that. The talent has always been there, but he has not put it together. Perhaps a fresh start can help.
The 27-year-old is under team control through the 2025 campaign. Trading him before he enters that final year might be in the best interest of both the White Sox and Kopech. Both sides could benefit from a Kopech trade.