MLB Rumors: 3 teams that should be happy waiting for Dylan Cease trade at deadline
A Dylan Cease trade has appeared inevitable, at times imminent for the duration of the MLB offseason. And yet, we are a couple weeks into the new year and the 28-year-old remains a member of the Chicago White Sox.
The asking price for Cease is exorbitant, which continues to scare teams off of the 2022 Cy Young runner-up. Chicago reportedly asked the Baltimore Orioles for one of their top prospects — Colton Cowser or Heston Kjerstad — and other additional assets. Cease has two years of team control left on his contract and he is due to make $8 million in 2024. That is an extremely favorable contract situation, but it is hardly favorable enough for Baltimore to mortgage its future.
Other teams are surely receiving similar demands from the White Sox. That could lead to a protracted sweepstakes for the hard-throwing righty. The White Sox are preparing for a rebuild, but there's no true pressure to deal Cease until the trade deadline. If Chicago takes Cease into the season, GM Chris Getz will remain in a position of power.
There is, however, negative downside to that approach as well. With each game Cease plays, the less guaranteed team control his next team possesses. There's also the risk of injury or poor performance, which can impact Chicago's eventual return.
If the Cease pursuit does last into spring training and the regular season, these teams should wait patiently with their eyes locked on the trade deadline prize.
3. Giants can afford to wait for Dylan Cease at trade deadline
The San Francisco Giants aren't blessed with an elite farm system, but few MLB teams are more desperate to load up on talent. The Giants are locked in a rather lopsided arms race with the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL West. Los Angeles signed both of San Francisco's priority free agents — Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto — and traded for Tyler Glasnow. It's borderline unfair.
Still, San Francisco proved itself willing to spend with a $113 million contract for Jung Hoo Lee. The Giants were briefly floated as favorites to land Shota Imanaga, but the Chicago Cubs struck with greater force. The Giants still need another heavy-hitter to round out Bob Melvin's rotation. San Francisco traded for Seattle Mariners Cy Young candidate Robbie Ray, but he's coming off Tommy John surgery and will miss time. The Jordan Hicks signing represents a bold bet on talent, but he's an unproven starter.
Cease would settle comfortably into a top spot on the Giants' depth chart, floating between Logan Webb and Ray, once the latter is healthy. Cease struggled in 2023 — his ERA dipped to 4.58 and the White Sox's support apparatus crumbled — but he's in his athletic prime on a killer contract. He can boost the Giants' standing in a competitive division without breaking the bank, at least in the short term.
If the Giants can get healthy and add Cease at the trade deadline, there would be few holes to poke in the San Francisco bullpen. For a group that struggled to maintain consistent pitching around Webb last season, this would represent a major victory.