Trading For Chicago White Sox Star is Still the Preference of New York Yankees

While there's been a lot of hype around the idea of the New York Yankees signing free agent left-hander Blake Snell, the team still prefers to trade for Chicago White Sox ace Dylan Cease, according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today.

Per Nightengale:

– The New York Yankees would prefer to trade for Chicago White Sox ace Dylan Cease instead of signing free agent Blake Snell, but they are at a standstill with the White Sox. They refuse to part with top outfield prospect Spencer Jones in any package for Cease while the White Sox are insisting on him.

1) It makes sense that the Yankees would still be open to acquiring Cease. One of the best strikeout artists in the game, he could join a rotation with Gerrit Cole, Marcus Stroman and Carlos Rodon in it. As good as that rotation could be, there are injury concerns for both Stroman and Rodon, and there are questions about the guys behind them like Nestor Cortes and Clarke Schmidt.

2) Even as enticing as acquiring Cease can be, there are questions about him as well. The 27-year-old Cease struggled in 2023, just as the White Sox did. He went 7-9 with a 4.58 ERA. He's still an elite strikeout artist, fanning 214 batters in 177.0 innings last year, but his walk numbers are awfully high. Lifetime, he's 43-35 with a 4.58 ERA and he did finish second in the AL Cy Young voting in 2022.

3) As for Jones, he is the No. 84 prospect in all of baseball entering 2024. The following comes from his MLB.com prospect profile:

Jones offers an intriguing combination of power and uncommon athleticism for a 6-foot-6, 235-pounder. His bat speed, strength and leverage produce well-above-average raw power and exit velocities, though there are some concerns about how much of his pop will play in games. He rarely turns on pitches and must prove he can handle quality velocity on the inner half at higher levels. His naturally long left-handed stroke results in a lot of strikeouts, including 155 with a 29 percent whiff rate in 2023.

Jones shows average speed out of the batter's box and is a solid runner once underway...

Cease is under contract for two more years so the White Sox are not forced into making any moves with him. They could trade him at the trade deadline or wait until the offseason if they want.

Follow Fastball on FanNation on social media

Continue to follow our Fastball on FanNation coverage on social media by LIKING us on Facebook and by following us on Twitter @FastballFN.

Check out more New York Yankees coverage at Sports Illustrated and FanNation's Inside the Pinstripes.