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MLB rumors: All-Star free agent generating interest, Orioles trade seems obvious, Phillies extension

  • J.D. Martinez generating widespread interest
  • Orioles trading for Dylan Cease seems obvious
  • Phillies looking to extend their ace

By Zachary Rotman

Sep 24, 2023; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter J.D. Martinez
Sep 24, 2023; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter J.D. Martinez / Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
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MLB Rumors: Orioles trading for Dylan Cease seems obvious

Things have been pretty quiet on the trade market this offseason, despite speculation that several of the game's best starting pitchers could be on the move. We saw Tyler Glasnow and Chris Sale get dealt, but pitchers like Corbin Burnes, Shane Bieber, and Dylan Cease who many expected to get moved are still with their respective clubs.

It's unclear just how available Burnes and Bieber are with their teams trying to compete in 2024, but Cease is certainly available. The reason he has not been moved yet is because the Chicago White Sox have a very high asking price for their ace, and rightfully so. Cease comes with an extra year of control and is incredibly cheap financially while having a Cy Young ceiling. We saw him finish as the AL Cy Young runner-up in 2022, even though he did follow that up with a down year.

It's possible Cease gets traded, and if he does, the Baltimore Orioles make the most sense by far. They have a need at the top of their rotation, refuse to spend big in free agency, and have more prospects than anyone else to offer. Baltimore will not have to offer top prospect Jackson Holliday because of how loaded their farm is.

The Orioles are the most obvious Cease destination, but with the White Sox hurler still not in Baltimore, the question of why that's the case has to be asked. The Orioles have more than enough to land him without skipping a beat and need pitching desperately. Especially considering the fact that the Yankees and Red Sox, two division rivals, have expressed serious interest you'd think Baltimore would want to get it done.

As Ken Rosenthal noted on the Foul Territory podcast, prices for players of Cease's caliber will only go up by the trade deadline when the entire league is focused on making impact trades. The time for the Orioles to strike is right now. Running things back with no changes after they were swept in the ALDS should not be an option. Trading away the prospects to get a legit ace like Cease with two years of team control should be a no-brainer.

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