According to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, New York and Baltimore, two teams in the American League East, have shown “sincere” interest in signing Dylan Cease, the starting pitcher for the Chicago White Sox.
According to Rosenthal, Cease is one of the most sought-after names on the trade market this offseason, and the Dodgers, Cardinals, and Red Sox are also “in the mix” for him.
The White Sox under manager Pedro Grifol’s debut year were mainly disappointing last season. With a 61-101 record that placed them fourth in the AL Central, they underwent a front office makeover in August, hiring Chris Getz as vice president and general manager and replacing general manager Rick Hahn and executive vice president Kenny Williams.
Getz would be able to start building his own club from scratch by trading Cease, which would be a crucial first step toward a rebuild.
The right-hander, who is 28 years old, has finished one of his worst seasons ever. With 33 starts, Cease went 7-9 with a 4.58 ERA, 1.418 WHIP, and the most wild pitches in the league (14). Cease is just one year removed from coming in second in the American League Cy Young voting, despite his difficulties in the previous campaign.
Despite his troubles the previous season, Cease’s contract status is another reason why organizations are prepared to take a chance on him. Before becoming a free agent, he has two more years left under team control. A pitcher who is still in the middle of his first deal rarely becomes available and has Cy Young potential.
For Cease, the White Sox ought to be able to obtain a large harvest of prospects. They reportedly requested the 24-year-old starter Brayan Bello, one of the best young pitchers in the league, from the Red Sox during the previous season’s trade deadline.
With Yoshinobu Yamamoto, the Japanese ace, out of the picture, the Yankees are desperate to strengthen their rotation. They’ve also been connected to World Series victor Jordan Montgomery and the current National League Cy Young Award winner Blake Snell.
With 101 wins in a season, the Orioles ought to be focused on winning now as well. They can attempt to strengthen starting pitching via trade or free agency, as they have young, controllable talent at nearly every position. With Cease, Baltimore would have access to a possible ace that might put them on top of the game and make them the favorites to win the American League.
Teams trying to fill out their rotation are finding Cease to be a more appealing option while free-agent starters Snell and Montgomery remain unsigned.