MLB Trade Rumors: White Sox’s Asking Price for Dylan Cease ‘The Sun and The Moon’

Andrew PetersJanuary 26, 2024

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Any team looking to trade for Chicago White Sox starting pitcher Dylan Cease should be prepared to pay a lofty price.

According to the New York Post’s Jon Heyman, one MLB GM said that the White Sox’s asking price for the righty is “the sun and the moon.”

Chicago has also already named Cease its Opening Day starter, which seems to indicate it won’t deal him before the start of the season.

Last year in his fifth MLB campaign, Cease notched 214 strikeouts in 177 innings pitched, posting a 7-9 record. He had a relatively disappointing 2023, with fewer strikeouts, a higher ERA and a lower WAR, per Baseball Reference, than he had in 2022. He also gave up a career-high 172 hits and a career-high 98 runs while posting a below-average 97 ERA+.

As the 28-year-old has two years of club control remaining—and considering the scarcity of talented young starting pitching on the market—there’s no need for the White Sox to rush a trade. The club faces long odds to make the playoffs in 2024 and at the least needs serious retooling, so Cease could be one of the hottest names at the July 30 trade deadline.

ESPN Jesse Rogers reported in early January that Chicago is looking for “multiple” high-end prospects and some “fill-ins,” and it doesn’t seem as though general manager Chris Getz has had a change of heart.

For now, having been named the Opening Day starter, Cease gets a little peace of mind that he will likely be with Chicago to start this season.