(670 The Score) The White Sox continue to hold trade discussions centered around right-hander Dylan Cease, general manager Chris Getz said Tuesday, but they haven’t found a deal to their liking yet.
“Certainly going into the offseason with trying to get our club in a much better place than where it’s been here recently, we had to be open-minded with perhaps making some trades,” Getz said on a Zoom call as he addressed the team’s recent signings and offseason. “Obviously, we had the Aaron Bummer deal, was able to trade for Max Stassi. We’ve been open-minded with other players on the roster, because I felt like that was the right thing to do. We’ve had conversations about Dylan Cease, 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. It’s got to be a right fit for certainly 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. As part of the offseason, we’ll continue to do that to find ways to get our club better.”
The 28-year-old Cease is coming off a disappointing season but is still viewed across MLB as a dominant pitcher. He posted a 4.58 ERA and 1.42 WHIP in 177 innings across 33 starts in 2023. Cease was the American League Cy Young runner-up in 2022, when he had a 2.20 ERA and 1.11 WHIP in 184 innings across 32 starts.
He has also been as durable as any starter in MLB in recent years, making a combined 97 starts across the past three seasons.
Asked if the White Sox were looking for talent that’s MLB-ready/close to it or younger prospects who would play for a time in the minor leagues, Getz replied he’d like to get both in a potential Cease deal.
“Quite honestly, all of the above,” Getz said. “For sustainability, it’s important to, if you’re able to find a trade, that you want it to help you both in the short-term and long-term. So potentially there could be players that go to our minor league system, certainly could help our major league club. You certainly want this to be a balancing attack. You hope you’re able to benefit immediately. Sometimes that’s not the case. We’re looking for ways to get better both short-term and long-term.”
Getz added it was "tough to tell" when a Cease trade might materialize. He understands it might be best for the White Sox to wait for star pitchers Blake Snell and Jordan Montgomery to sign with new teams in free agency, but that won't stop him from acting if Chicago gets a strong offer.
"In the case of Dylan, I don't think that there's a club out there that hasn't expressed some level of interest in him," Getz said. "All their situations are different."