MLB Insider Says Chicago White Sox are Inclined to Wait on Trading Top Starter

As the starting pitcher trade market begins to move, Ken Rosenthal of 'The Athletic' has some information on the Chicago White Sox' willingness to move ace Dylan Cease.

With the Thursday night trade of Tyler Glasnow to the Los Angeles Dodgers, the starting pitcher trade market has started to thaw.

With that, we're all left wondering who could be dealt next. 

According to Ken Rosenthal of 'The Athletic,' Dylan Cease of the Chicago White Sox is likely NOT going to be moved in the next big starting pitcher deal.

Per Rosenthal:

The White Sox are talking to clubs about Cease, but still seem inclined to wait until after Yoshinobu and company sign, believing the urgency of teams that strike out on those pitchers will only increase.

Cease, who is under club control for two more seasons, remains an obvious target for the Reds and Orioles, who are not involved with the top free agents. But he also is a possibility for other teams monitoring the trade market, a group that includes the Yankees, Giants, Braves and Rangers.

This makes sense from the White Sox perspective, but it works both ways. 

At this current juncture, there are still teams like the Reds and Orioles who desperately need starting pitching. If they continue to strike out on other targets, they could be willing to overpay for the White Sox' hurler. But on the other hand, teams like the Tigers (Kenta Maeda and Jack Flaherty), Dodgers (Glasnow) and Cardinals (Lance Lynn, Kyle Gibson and Sonny Gray) are less likely to get involved.

While a trade of Cease could be painful for Sox fans, it could help re-jumpstart the path to contention. The White Sox just need talent, and Cease is one of the best remaining assets on the roster that could net that.

Chicago finished with the third-worst record in the American League this past season.

The 27-year-old Cease struggled in 2023, just as the White Sox did. He went 7-9 with a 4.58 ERA. He's still an elite strikeout artist, fanning 214 batters in 177.0 innings. Lifetime, he's 43-35 with a 4.58 ERA. He finished second in American League Cy Young voting in 2022.

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