Realistic Dylan Cease Trade Packages for the Yankees and Every Potential Suitor
The trade buzz surrounding Chicago White Sox pitcher Dylan Cease is heating up now that more free agency dominos have fallen, and it could be only a matter of time before the talented right-hander is dealt.
The 28-year-old finished runner-up in AL Cy Young voting in 2022, but took a step backward during the 2023 season when he posted a 4.58 ERA, 1.42 WHIP and 214 strikeouts in 177 innings, issuing 79 walks and uncorking 14 wild pitches along the way.
His 3.72 FIP paints a much more promising picture of his future performance, and while his walk rate is high, his 4.0 BB/9 in 2023 were not far off his 3.8 BB/9 during his terrific 2022 campaign.
With two years of club control remaining and a team-friendly $8.8 million projected salary in arbitration, he is an extremely valuable trade chip, and he could slot in as the No. 2 or No. 3 starter on a contending club.
Ahead we've highlighted seven teams with either reported or speculative interest, and put together a hypothetical trade proposal for what it would take to acquire him.
Let's start with a few dark horses to keep an eye on.
Dark Horses to Consider
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Cincinnati Reds
The Reds have already made two additions to the starting rotation, signing Frankie Montas and Nick Martinez in free agency, so they could be done addressing a staff that was a clear weakness in 2023. Those two newcomers will join some combination of Hunter Greene, Andrew Abbott, Graham Ashcraft, Nick Lodolo, Brandon Williamson and Connor Phillips.
Los Angeles Dodgers
Never rule out the Dodgers, who have the financial means and the prospect talent to be major players for anyone they decide to target. With Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Tyler Glasnow already added to the mix this offseason and Walker Buehler on the mend from Tommy John surgery, their staff could be complete.
San Diego Padres
With Blake Snell, Seth Lugo and Michael Wacha all departing in free agency, the Padres current projected rotation is Yu Darvish, Joe Musgrove, Michael King and two big question marks. The focal point of the offseason has been cutting costs, but Cease is only projected to earn $8.8 million in arbitration, so he could potentially fit into their plans. The question is whether a retooling team will part with high-end prospect talent.
St. Louis Cardinals
Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic listed the Cardinals as speculative contenders for Cease, so we'll include them here on our list of dark horse suitors. They moved quickly to add Sonny Gray, Kyle Gibson and Lance Lynn in free agency to a staff that already includes Miles Mikolas and Steven Matz, but they have some superfluous position players and Cease would still be a clear upgrade.
Tampa Bay Rays
The reasonable price point fits for a Rays team that has to consider every dollar they spend, and they have the prospect talent to swing a major deal. The splashy trade is not their usual approach, but with Zack Littell, Ryan Pepiot and Taj Bradley currently projected to fill out the back of the rotation, they could make adding a top-end arm a priority.
Baltimore Orioles
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Trade Proposal: Orioles acquire RHP Dylan Cease in exchange for IF Jordan Westburg, OF Colton Cowser
With a wealth of young position-player talent, there is no question the Orioles have the controllable pieces to swing a blockbuster deal.
They could offer the White Sox their pick of two guys from the group of Jordan Westburg, Colton Cowser, Heston Kjerstad and Joey Ortiz, who are all MLB-ready pieces that the South Siders could immediately plug into their 2024 plans.
The above proposal would be a tough offer for other teams to beat, considering Westburg was a consensus top-25 prospect before making his MLB debut last season, while Cowser recently checked in at No. 18 on B/R's updated Top 100 prospect list for 2024.
Two controllable, MLB-ready pieces for an established frontline pitcher with two years of club control remaining looks like a fair deal for all involved.
Boston Red Sox
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Trade Proposal: Red Sox acquire RHP Dylan Cease in exchange for 2B Nick Yorke, RHP Wikelman Gonzalez, SS Yoeilin Cespedes
This trade proposal is lacking in one elite-level prospect, but it gives the White Sox a good all-around return with one MLB-ready piece and two high-upside lottery tickets.
Nick Yorke hit .268/.350/.435 with 25 doubles, 13 home runs, 61 RBI and 18 steals in 110 games at Double-A last year, and with a 55-hit, 50-power offensive profile he could be the White Sox starting second baseman by the All-Star break.
Right-hander Wikelman Gonzalez, 21, is arguably the top pitching prospect in the Boston system after racking up 168 strikeouts in 111.1 innings between High-A and Double-A, though his command is still spotty at best.
Teenager Yoeilin Cespedes hit .346/.392/.560 with 25 extra-base hits in 46 games in the Dominican Summer League in 2023 after signing for $1.4 million in January. His stateside debut could send his prospect stock soaring.
Chicago Cubs
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Trade Proposal: Cubs acquire RHP Dylan Cease in exchange for RHP Javier Assad, OF Kevin Alcántara, IF James Triantos, 1B Haydn McGeary
What a full-circle moment it would be for the Cubs to re-acquire Cease after he was originally drafted by the organization and traded to the White Sox along with Eloy Jimenez and two other prospects in exchange for José Quintana at the 2017 trade deadline.
The North Siders had to pay a rivalry premium in that deal, and the above proposal takes that potential cost into consideration once again.
Javier Assad had a 3.05 ERA in 109.1 innings in the majors last season and comes with club control through the 2028 season, so he would be an immediate replacement for Cease in the White Sox rotation.
Outfielder Kevin Alcantara and infielder James Triantos were both ranked among the "Next 50" on B/R's latest Top 100 prospect list. Alcantara is a towering 6'6" slugger with huge offensive upside, while Triantos just won Offensive Player of the Year honors in the Arizona Fall League.
Rounding out the package is Haydn McGeary, who offers a limited defensive and athletic profile, but posted an .859 OPS with 19 home runs and 88 RBI in 2023. He set the all-time D-III home run record with 75 long balls in 163 games at Colorado Mesa University before going in the 15th round of the 2022 draft.
New York Mets
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Trade Proposal: Mets acquire RHP Dylan Cease in exchange for SS Luisangel Acuña, C Kevin Parada, RHP Christian Scott, RHP Raimon Gomez
The Mets did a nice job restocking the farm system at the trade deadline, but they would almost certainly have to part with one of the top prospects they acquired in the Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander deals—shortstop Luisangel Acuña and outfielder Drew Gilbert.
Pairing one of those top-tier prospects with 2022 first-round pick Kevin Parada would be a good starting point in negotiations, and would give the White Sox a great long-term outlook at catcher after Edgar Quero was acquired over the summer.
A middling 2023 season from Parada likely means the secondary prospect pieces would need to be a bit more valuable than in some of these other proposals.
Right-hander Christian Scott finished with a 2.57 ERA, 0.86 WHIP and a 107-to-12 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 87.2 innings across three minor league levels, while Raimon Gomez possesses a 70-grade fastball and is an intriguing flier as he works his way back from Tommy John surgery.
New York Yankees
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Trade Proposal: Yankees acquire RHP Dylan Cease in exchange for OF Spencer Jones, RHP WIll Warren, C/1B Ben Rice, 3B Tyler Hardman, LHP Edgar Barclay
Assuming Jasson Dominguez is off-limits in trade talks and Chase Hampton will also be a non-starter after fellow top pitching prospect Drew Thorpe was moved in the Juan Soto trade, outfielders Spencer Jones and Everson Pereira are the most logical potential centerpieces in a Cease deal.
Neither is a consensus Top 100 prospect, so it would take a significant collection of secondary pieces to put together a competitive offer.
Will Warren has a 3.63 ERA and 274 strikeouts in 258 innings since going in the eighth round of the 2021 draft, and he closed out the 2023 season at Triple-A, so he could be a candidate for his first big league action at some point in 2024.
Ben Rice (73 G, 1.049 OPS, 20 HR) and Tyler Hardman (77 G, .890 OPS, 26 HR) are both bat-first prospect coming off strong seasons in the minors, while Edgar Barclay is a crafty left-hander who tallied 100 strikeouts in 78.1 innings and could make a major impact out of the bullpen.
San Francisco Giants
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Trade Proposal: Giants acquire RHP Dylan Cease, DH Eloy Jiménez in exchange for LHP Kyle Harrison, RHP Tristan Beck, OF Heliot Ramos, OF Wade Meckler, RHP Mason Black, RHP Landon Roupp
Let's get weird!
The Giants have made no major additions to an offense that finished 24th in the majors with 4.16 runs per game during the 2024 season, and in fact just traded away one of their potential run producers when they sent Mitch Haniger to the Seattle Mariners in exchange for Robbie Ray.
This blockbuster deal to acquire Cease and slugger Eloy Jiménez gives them a middle-of-the-order slugger while also addressing the need for a second frontline arm alongside ace Logan Webb.
The return package is a steep price, with top pitching prospect Kyle Harrison and Tristan Beck both capable of stepping right into the White Sox rotation, while outfielder Heliot Ramos is a former Top 100 prospect who is also ready for an MLB role.
Outfielder Wade Meckler hit .371/.456/.510 across 83 games in the minors last year, while Mason Black and Landon Roupp offer slightly lower ceilings than the two other pitchers in this package but are also capable of contributing in 2024 as relievers.
The Giants have failed to make a splash in free agency several years in a row, and this would accomplish reshaping the roster in a dramatic way.
Texas Rangers
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Trade Proposal: Rangers acquire RHP Dylan Cease, LHP Garrett Crochet in exchange for IF Justin Foscue, RHP Owen White, 1B/OF Dustin Harris, 1B Abimelec Ortiz, RHP Josh Stephan, RHP Emiliano Teodo
With uncertainty surrounding their TV deal, the defending World Series champions have seemingly put a pin in any further significant spending, but Cease has a team-friendly salary and two years of club control remaining so he could be a potential fit to address the starting rotation.
Assuming the team does not come to terms on a deal to bring back Jordan Montgomery in free agency, something will need to be done to address a starting staff that will be without Max Scherzer, Jacob deGrom and Tyler Mahle to begin the year.
This trade proposal is a collection of quality prospect pieces that is lacking a Top 100-caliber player, but Justin Foscue, Owen White and Dustin Harris would all immediately have a case to be Top 10 prospects in the White Sox system.
Abimelec Ortiz had a 33-homer season between Single-A and High-A in 2023, Josh Stephan posted a 2.30 ERA in 66.2 innings, and Emiliano Teodo won Reliever of the Year honors in the Arizona Fall League.
The six-player package sends enough talent to the South Siders for them to also include flame-throwing lefty Garrett Crochet in the deal, which gives the Rangers a low-cost replacement for Aroldis Chapman.
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