Texas Rangers Trade Option for Chicago White Sox Starter Dylan Cease
While the Texas Rangers continue to be mentioned prominently in the free-agent market for pitching, particularly regarding Jordan Montgomery and Josh Hader, trades are another avenue to beef up the staff.
One of the more intriguing arms on the block belongs to Dylan Cease. The Chicago White Sox right-hander is reportedly on the move, and the asking price is steep.
Joel Sherman of the New York Post recently reported that the rebuilding White Sox want “three premium prospects” for Cease. So who’s got the juice to make that sort of deal?
MLB.com put together a list of six potential trades for Cease. The Baltimore Orioles, Cincinnati Reds, New York Yankees, Chicago Cubs, Seattle Mariners and Boston Red Sox made the cut. The parameters of a possible deal were included, with prospects named, why it makes sense and why it won’t happen.
The Rangers weren’t among the top six, but the defending World Series champions are among six more teams to watch. Per MLB.com:
With Jacob deGrom, Max Scherzer and Tyler Mahle all likely out for at least the first few months of the season, Cease would provide rotation stability if Texas can’t re-sign Jordan Montgomery.
Bringing back Montgomery seems to remain Plan A for the Rangers, though the postseason star appears to be in no hurry to sign and, as one of the top pitchers left in free agency, his price tag figures to only go up.
If a return to Texas isn’t in the cards – Montgomery reportedly wants to come back (and he’s been offered free barbecue for life) – trading for Cease makes sense. The Rangers have a well-stocked farm system to work with and room in the rotation for a quality starter.
Cease has emerged as a quality right-hander who finished second in Cy Young voting in 2022 after going 14-8 with a 2.20 ERA. In 2023, he went 7-9 and his ERA went up to 4.58. But he has a solid track record for his career with a 43-35 record and a 3.83 ERA. He also strikes out 10.8 hitters per nine innings and led the American League in the category in 2021 (12.3).
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