Getty Dylan Cease
The trade market for Chicago White Sox ace Dylan Cease is heating up again, with USA Today’s Bob Nightengale reporting on January 29 that the Seattle Mariners are interested in acquiring the 28-year-old pitcher.
“The Seattle Mariners have quietly entered trade talks with the Chicago White Sox for ace Dylan Cease, with the White Sox seeking a package centered around young starters Bryce Miller or Bryan Woo,” Nightengale reported.
Last season, Cease went 7-9 with a 4.58 ERA, 1.42 WHIP, and 214 strikeouts, which was a noticeable decline from his career-year stats in 2022. Despite being snubbed by All-Star selection, Cease’s 2022 ERA of 2.20 was the third-best in MLB, and his AL Pitcher of the Month wins in both June and July made him the first pitcher in White Sox history to win in consecutive months.
White Sox Seeking ‘Sun & the Moon’ For Cease
At the start of the offseason, trading for Cease was expected to be a more budget-friendly option than signing a top starter out of free agency, but it appears Chicago’s asking price is a lot higher than teams expected. In fact, NY Post’s Jon Heyman quoted an MLB general manager on January 25 as saying the White Sox wanted “the sun and the moon” to consider a trade.
Earlier this month, Nightengale reported “(The White Sox) have had serious trade discussions with about a half-dozen teams, currently including the Yankees and Orioles, but no one has stepped up and is willing to offer a package of at least two top-100 prospects and two other players.”
Nightengale’s report on January 29 named Seattle’s cost-controlled right-handers Miller and Woo as the players the White Sox were interested in acquiring in return for Cease, but there will presumably be a number of other players involved if a package is put together.
The White Sox are currently at the start of a rebuild, and Cease is a top trade chip to get young players for future seasons. Still, the team can afford to wait until they get what they want. Cease is under club control for another two years, and since they’re not in contention this season, they don’t need to rush into a trade.
If the Mariners join the list of teams who failed to meet the White Sox’s asking price, Chicago is likely to hold onto Cease until the July deadline when a contender may be more open to putting together a generous trade package.
Contention Plans for the Mariners
In his report on January 29, Nightengale wrote, “If the Mariners meet the White Sox’s steep asking price, they would have one of the most powerful starting rotations in baseball with Luis Castillo, Cease, Logan Gilbert and George Kirby.”
There’s no question Cease would be an invaluable addition to Seattle, especially as the team pushes their way back into contention conversations. In 2023, the Mariners finished third in the AL West with a record of 88-74, and while it certainly wasn’t a bad year, it also wasn’t the dominant season the team wanted to follow up their 2022 playoff run.
With a lot to prove in 2024, Seattle has been making a range of moves this winter to change up their roster.
The Mariners kicked off their offseason on November 22 by acquiring reliever Carlos Vargas and catcher Seby Zavala from the Arizona Diamondbacks, sending third baseman Eugenio Suarez in return. On December 3, 2023, they traded outfielder Jarred Kelenic, left-hander Marco Gonzales, and first baseman Evan White to the Atlanta Braves in exchange for right-handers Jackson Kowar and Cole Phillips, and on December 24, they signed free-agent catcher Mitch Garver to a two-year, $24 million contract.
On January 5, the Mariners sent pitcher Robbie Ray to the San Francisco Giants for outfielder Mitch Haniger and veteran starter Anthony DeSclafani. Most recently, the team acquired All-Star second baseman Jorge Polanco from the Minnesota Twins on January 29, sending a four-player package of DeSclafani, reliever Justin Topa, outfield prospect Gabriel Gonzalez, and pitching prospect Darren Bowen in return.
If the Mariners are serious about a playoff run in 2024, adding Cease to their rotation could be a difference-maker. The question is, how much will they have to give up to get him?