The MLB offseason has been slow this year, with the pitching market specifically taking a while to really get going. Among the pitchers available is Chicago White Sox starter Dylan Cease, who is likely to get traded as the White Sox are not expected to compete this year.
With Cease on the block, the New York Yankees and the Baltimore Orioles are two teams who have expressed “sincere interest,” The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal reports. Rosenthal also mentions the Boston Red Sox, Los Angeles Dodgers and St. Louis Cardinals as teams who could be interested in acquiring the right-hander.
Cease has two years on his contract, and presents an option for teams who don’t want to sign one of the major free agents or trade for a one-year rental. The 28-year-old broke out in 2022, pitching to a 2.20 ERA and earning the runner-up to the Cy Young award, but took a step back last year with a 4.58 ERA. He has proven to be durable, however, as he’s made 97 starts over the last three seasons.
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It is no secret that the Yankees are looking to add another starter, as they missed out on Yoshinobu Yamamoto and traded some of their pitching depth in the Juan Soto trade. New York has also been linked to free agents Blake Snell and Jordan Montgomery as the team continues to search for a starting pitcher.
The Orioles, meanwhile, have been quiet in the offseason coming off a 101-win season and division title, but present a potential match for Chicago. Baltimore has plenty of prospects in its strong farm system to offer the White Sox, and the Orioles need to fortify their rotation to supplement their explosive offense.
According to Rosenthal, the White Sox are “virtually certain” to trade Cease as a way to add talent to the roster, and it seems AL East rivals are at the front of the line.
