MLB Trade Rumors: White Sox 'Pulling Back' on Dylan Cease Talks amid Braves Buzz

MLB teams have reportedly said the Chicago White Sox are "pulling back" on trade talks regarding starting pitcher Dylan Cease, according to Jon Heyman of the New York Post.

But Heyman speculated that the White Sox are likely "waiting to see who misses out on the coveted Japanese star [Yoshinobu Yamamoto]. Still thought to be a good chance Cease is dealt."

While Cease hasn't quite been at the forefront of MLB rumors like the free agencies of Shohei Ohtani and Yamamoto and the potential Juan Soto trade, there's been plenty of buzz surrounding him this winter.

The Atlanta Braves were one of the popular teams linked to him, but Mark Bowman of MLB.com reported Monday that he Cease was "certainly on the Braves' radar, but it doesn't feel like there is currently a fit. In fact, it seems like Atlanta's interest and involvement has been overblown."

Heyman, meanwhile, previously reported that the Baltimore Orioles are a team to watch in the Cease sweepstakes:

And Jon Morosi of the MLB Network reported the Cease market was "robust" and listed a number of potential suitors:

It make sense.

Cease, 27, is still under club control for two more seasons and estimated to make around $8.3 million in arbitration next year, per Spotrac. While he didn't have his best season in 2023 (7-9 with a 4.58 ERA, 1.41 WHIP and 214 strikeouts in 177 innings across 33 starts), he put up ace-worthy numbers in the 2021 and 2022 seasons.

For teams with a strong farm system that don't want to dish out the cash it will take to sign a Yamamoto, Jordan Montgomery or Blake Snell—and don't want to absorb Tyler Glasnow's $25 million salary next season in a trade or risk losing him in free agency one year from now—Cease is a logical target.

So the White Sox could hold out for a high price. But for a rebuilding team fresh off a brutal 61-101 season, cashing in now and bolstering the farm system makes sense, hence Heyman's skepticism about the possibility of Chicago backing away from Cease talks for good.