MLB Hot Stove Notes: Dodgers and Braves in hot pursuit of White Sox righty Dylan Cease
The Chicago White Sox are reportedly receiving trade interest in right-handed starter Dylan Cease. The Dodgers, Braves and others are in discussions to trade for the 27-year-old, per USA Today’s Bob Nightengale.
Cease is one of the top names available on the trade market this winter. He has two years of team control remaining before he can be a free agent in 2026. The righty went 7-9 last season posting a 4.58 ERA. His down 2023 season comes on the heels of his 2022 campaign where he finished 14-8 with a 2.20 ERA and was the runner-up for the American League Cy Young award.
The durable Cease has made 97 starts the last three seasons, 32 in both 2021 and 2022 and 33 last year. He’s also tossed 526 2/3 frames during that span.
If the Braves land Cease, it would be the second trade the two clubs would have made this offseason. Atlanta acquired lefty Aaron Bummer in mid-Nov.
The Braves traded right-handed pitcher Mike Soroka, lefty Jared Shuster, pitching prospect Riley Gowens, infielders Nicky Lopez and Braden Shewmake for Bummer who is signed through next season with club options for 2025 and 2026.
Atlanta has been aggressive this offseason, adding Bummer, re-signing relievers Pierce Johnson and Joe Jimenez. They also signed right-handed free agent Renyaldo Lopez on a three-year, $30 million deal.
If Cease ends up in Atlanta, he would join a strong rotation led by Spencer Strider, Max Fried, Charlie Morton and young hurlers Bryce Elder and AJ Smith-Shawver. It’s likely that one of those young arms would head back to the White Sox the deal, but if not, the Braves have a strong contingent of arms at their disposal.
New general manager Chris Getz is trying to cut payroll on the south side while building a new young core fort the White Sox. He is expected to be active in both trades and free agency.
“I still think it’s going to be dabbling in both,” Getz said to the Chicago Tribune. “And there’s going to be a pace to each avenue. And there could be a point where it just makes sense to act on a trade to fill some of our needs and set us up for the future, or we’re able to convert on a free agent. So still open-minded. We’re working in both spaces right now.”
Getz laid groundwork on trades and relationships while at the GM Meetings in Arizona earlier in the month. Which is evident of the Bummer trade and the signing of free agent shortstop Paul DeJong.
The Dodgers had shown interest in Cease at the trade deadline. Los Angeles is looking for front line starters to add to their rotation. Walker Buehler is set to return after Tommy John surgery, Dustin May should miss the first half of the season due to flexor tendon surgery.
The addition of Cease would give Los Angeles their new ace alongside of Buehler and other young arms like Bobby Miller, Ryan Pepiot, Emmet Sheehan, Michael Grove and Gavin Stone.
The Dodgers are expected to be suitors for Japanese righty Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Shohei Ohtani. The generational superstar will not pitch this year due to elbow surgery, but would impact their rotation plans for 2025.
Los Angeles would likely deal from the young arm surplus they have in order to acquire Cease from the White Sox.
The Athletic’s Jim Bowden thinks the package for Cease will include at least two top-10 prospects. “At the very least, the White Sox would get two top-10 prospects and one top-15 to top-25 prospect too. It would take a strong package from a good farm system.”
That would result in the Dodgers to trade the likes of Dalton Rushing, Michael Busch, Diego Cartaya, Andy Pages or River Ryan to name a few.
The Dodgers and Braves are in a win now window, both team’s have the prospect capital and resources to complete a trade for Cease.
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