A subplot to the noteworthy starting pitchers available in free agency this offseason has been the possibility of Dylan Cease and Corbin Burnes getting traded.
In November, Chicago White Sox general manager Chris Getz openly stated he was willing to field trade offers for Cease, Eloy Jiménez and anyone else on the roster.
The White Sox were sellers at the 2023 trade deadline as they sent Lucas Giolito and Reynaldo López to the Los Angeles Angels for prospects Ky Bush and Edgar Quero. The Los Angeles Dodgers were among the teams with interest in Giolito, and two days later wound up acquiring Joe Kelly and Lance Lynn from the White Sox.
Although there has been widespread interest in Cease, the White Sox have yet to make progress toward trading their ace.
According to Jason Beck of MLB.com, Getz explained the White Sox don’t believe it’s necessary to complete a Cease trade and will only do so if it means improving the team:
“We’ve had conversations about Dylan Cease,” general manager Chris Getz said on a Tuesday call with reporters. “But I also know that we’re not going to move a player like Dylan — or anyone else — unless we feel like we’re going to benefit. So it’s got to be a right fit for all parties.
“A lot of these conversations are ongoing. There’s a lot that goes into any sort of trade transaction. There’s a lot of conversations, build-up, research and obviously getting it to the finish line. And as part of the offseason, we’ll continue to do that, to find ways to get our club better.”
Amid ongoing Cease speculation, there was some thought the White Sox were waiting for top free-agent starters to sign before moving ahead with a trade.
Aaron Nola quickly re-signed with the Philadelphia Phillies, last month saw Yoshinobu Yamamoto join the Dodgers on a record contract, and Shōta Imanaga reportedly agreed to terms with the Chicago Cubs on Tuesday.
Blake Snell and Jordan Montgomery are among notable starting pitchers who remain available in free agency leading into the 2024 season.
Dylan Cease trade interest
In addition to the Dodgers, the Atlanta Braves, St. Louis Cardinals, New York Yankees, Baltimore Orioles and Boston Red Sox are among the teams that have been connected to a potential Cease trade at various points during the offseason.
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