MLB Rumors: 3 moves the Cardinals can make to end Nolan Arenado drama
By Curt Bishop
The Cardinals could trade for Dylan Cease
Another option for St. Louis would be to give the Chicago White Sox a call and see if they can make a deal for Dylan Cease.
This would take a massive haul, but the White Sox would more than likely be interested in younger assets. The Cardinals have a ton of young talent on the position player side. With players such as Nolan Gorman, Masyn Winn, Jordan Walker, Brendan Donovan, Tommy Edman, and Lars Nootbaar on the roster, a deal could be had for Cease if the Cardinals are willing to part with some of their young position players.
It hasn't been a very good season for Cease. The White Sox right-hander has struggled to the tune of a 4.66 ERA, which is typically not what a team looks for in a so-called "ace." But adding that ace-level pitching would give the Cardinals a serious boost as they try and bounce back in 2024.
It would also assure Arenado that the Cardinals are committed to winning and ensuring than another season like 2023 doesn't happen again. And despite his struggles this year, Cease was second in the AL Cy Young race behind Justin Verlander last season, posting an ERA of 2.20 with the White Sox.
Cease is also a strikeout machine. St. Louis is in desperate need of more swing-and-miss pitching in their rotation and their bullpen. Cease has fanned 207 batters in 172 innings of work and would be a solid addition.