The reported asking price for Dylan Cease remains high, which might explain why the rumor mill surrounding the White Sox ace for much of December.
Jon Heyman of the New York Post reported at the beginning of the month that the White Sox were “pulling back” in negotiations regarding Cease with rival clubs. He added that the White Sox front office was likely waiting to see where prized free agent stater Yoshinobu Yamamoto landed before re-engaging in trade talks for their ace. Now that Yamamoto has inked a deal with the Dodgers there are plenty of other Yamamoto suitors who are still in the market for pitching.
One of the teams interested in Cease is the Cincinnati Reds. Bruce Levine of 670 The Score also reported earlier in the month that the White Sox asked the Reds for a four-player deal that centered around pitching prospects Rhett Lowder and Chase Petty, as well as two position players.
Jon Heyman also said in a recent interview with 670 The Score that the White Sox should still get a “haul” for Cease and that four of a team’s top ten prospects are still in play. The two reports indicate that the White Sox have a high price tag on their 28-year-old starter.
Jason Williams of the Cincinnati Enquirer provided further detail on Chris Getz’s trade demands with the Reds, writing that he wanted Lowder, Edwin Arroyo, Connor Phillips, and “at least one more prospect”.
If you combine the mystery prospect with Levine’s report that Petty (the Reds No. 6 prospect) was one of the players involved, then it is potentially a five-player haul that the White Sox were asking for. It is an asking price that the Cincinnati Enquirer called “crazy”. Lowder is the Reds’ top pitching prospect and No. 2 overall prospect in their organization. Phillips and Arroyo are the Red’s No. 3 and 4 overall prospects. All three are considered Top 100 prospects from MLB Pipeline.
Given the recent return the Tampa Bay Rays received for Tyler Glasnow it is easy to see why the White Sox have set a high price tag for Cease. However, it is going to be difficult for them to get a return like that given that Cease is coming off a down year.
The Reds are not known for spending big money in free agency and are likely more inclined to hoard prospects. Getting them to part ways with three of their top four prospects for a pitcher who has yet to make an All-Star team is a big ask.
If the White Sox refuse to budge off their asking price we may see Getz continue to wait for a team to get desperate once the rest of the pitching market pans out. Getz can afford to wait. There is still plenty of offseason left to make a move.
Cease also still has two more years of arbitration eligibility remaining before he can hit free agency in the 2025-26 offseason. Getz could roll the dice and hang onto Cease for the start of the 2024 season in the hopes that he can help raise his stock before flipping him at the deadline. He could also choose to hang onto Cease long-term if the right deal doesn’t materialize.
