Dylan Cease rumors: Ranking 5 trade suitors as offseason slows to a crawl

The offseason continues to move at a snail's pace, but after the Corbin Burnes trade, the Chicago White Sox might be more willing to accept an offer for Dylan Cease.

Aug 13, 2023; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago White Sox starting pitcher Dylan Cease (84) walks back / Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports

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3) Dylan Cease is a cheap ace that the Padres desperately need

The San Diego Padres have made their goal for this offseason abundantly clear. They'd like to shed costs. They did so by trading Juan Soto and Trent Grisham to the Yankees while also letting free agents like Seth Lugo, Nick Martinez, Michael Wacha, Josh Hader, and Blake Snell sign elsewhere without competition.

What the Padres also want to do is remain competitive. Instead of acquiring a prospect-laden package in a Soto deal, San Diego got players who were either close or MLB-ready so they could maybe push for a Wild Card spot. Instead of trading Ha-Seong Kim coming off a breakout season in the final year of his contract, the Padres are keeping him to try and make the playoffs.

Trading for Dylan Cease would give the Padres an ideal replacement for Snell, and the fact that he's only making $8 million this season means he's an affordable target for them to consider. The Padres desperately need starting pitching help, and Cease is the best starter they can realistically get without breaking the bank financially.

While the Padres obviously traded a lot of prospects to get Juan Soto a couple of years ago, they still have a strong farm system with five top 100 prospects according to MLB Pipeline. Ethan Salas is probably untouchable, but a package including a combination of players like Jackson Merrill, Robby Snelling, and even the recently acquired Drew Thorpe could be something the White Sox listen to seriously.

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