If the White Sox are fully committing to a rebuild, Dylan Cease represents perhaps their best chip to bring back a haul of prospects.
Chicago seems intent on tearing things down this offseason following a woeful 101-loss 2023 season. With that has come an uptick in rumors that Cease could be on the move.
The 27-year-old is blossoming into an ace, despite coming off an underwhelming season. He finished 2023 with a 7-9 record and 4.58 ERA, but that was on the heels of a stellar 2022 campaign in which he finished second in Cy Young voting. Further bolstering his value is his durability, as he has established himself as one of the most reliable starters in the game.
Cease is arbitration eligible for the next two seasons before becoming a free agent. He hired Scott Boras as his agent in 2022, an indication not only that a big payday is coming his way, but that it’s all but certain he will hit free agency instead of signing an extension while under team control.
That ups the urgency to move him, something Audacy MLB insider Jon Heyman told Mully & Haugh on Wednesday makes sense for Chicago.
“To sign Cease, he’s got Scott Boras. Their highest contract ever, as we know and have been reminded many times, is (Andrew) Benintendi for $75 million – Scott Boras doesn’t sign anybody for that little amount of money, so that deal is never happening,’ the New York Post columnist said. “They’ve got two years to go, they’re not winning this year, it does make sense – if you’re going to try to maximize your future – it does make sense to trade Cease now. I do believe that.
“But if you’re doing what they’ve decided to do, it does make sense to trade Cease now with two years to go. The value is enormous. Much better than (Tyler) Glasnow, who has one year to go, (and is) injury prone. Cease pitches every five days, he didn’t have a great year this year, but he’s there every five days. He’s very talented.
“They should get a ton for him if they do trade him, and I would say it’s more likely than not they do. I wouldn’t guarantee it … the White Sox can afford the arbitration number for Cease, but if you’re going to do this it makes sense to trade Cease.”
Also on the block is the talented but oft-injured Eloy Jimenez. The ceiling is tantalizing and he too is just 27, but injuries have been a constant throughout his career, making him a depressed asset.
“It makes sense to trade Jimenez,” Heyman said. “Jimenez I don’t think you could get that much for at this point. I do think he has talent, but I don't think he has performed to that level. He’s been hurt a lot.
“Cease is the one guy where you can really get some great, young players back, and they are in need of great, young players, so I’m kind of with them on this. I don’t usually love it for a big market team, but I kind of agree that if you’re rebuilding, you’ve got to trade Cease.”