MLB Rumors: Sonny Gray latest, Cubs Candelario threats, Dodgers-Cease

MLB Rumors: Dodgers interested in Dylan Cease trade with White Sox

The Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago White Sox have discussed the possibility of sending Dylan Cease to LA, according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today. Cease isn't being actively shopped, but Chicago appears open to foundational changes as new GM Chris Getz tries to reset the stage following last season's miserable 61-win finish.

One year removed from a second-place finish in AL Cy Young voting, Cease's numbers plummeted across the board. He finished the 2023 campaign with a 7-9 record across a league-high 33 starts, posting a 4.58 ERA and a 1.418 WHIP.

Essentially, Chicago would be cutting ties at Cease's low point. He's under team control for another two seasons with an estimated 2024 contract value of $8.3 million after arbitration, per Spotrac. Cease would still sit at the top of the White Sox rotation next season and he's only 27 years old, so he has plenty of gas left in the tank.

If the Dodgers can put together a compelling offer, Cease would bring a lot to a pitching staff that stands to lose Clayton Kershaw. Bobby Miller is a promising young talent and Walker Buehler is due back from injury, but the lack of a proven, healthy ace is stark. Cease mixes a high whiff rate (31.0 percent, 84th percentile) and a low walk rate (10.1 percent, 25th percentile), per Baseball Savant. He punches the plate with 95.6 MPH heat and tempts swings and misses with a slippery slider, which constitutes 39 percent of his pitches.

Los Angeles is expected to pursue several high-profile pitchers in free agency, with Sonny Gray, Eduardo Rodriguez, and Blake Snell all floating around the market. That's without mentioning Shohei Ohtani, who should be back on the mound in 2025. Cease would come at the expense of the Dodgers' farm system, which could dissuade them in advance of a potential Mike Trout pursuit.