"The sun and the moon" - White Sox's demands for Dylan Cease called out by anonymous MLB team's GM
Dylan Cease remains the hottest starting pitcher on the trade market, however, if a team is looking to acquire the Chicago White Sox ace, it will come with a sizable price tag. Although the White Sox have been open to trading away nearly every player on the roster, they are unwilling to move on from their star without getting good value in a potential trade.
The 28-year-old pitcher is one year removed from being an American League Cy Young Award finalist and his current contract will keep him under team control until 2026, these two factors are contributing to the haul that the Chicago White Sox are reportedly looking for in return for Dylan Cease.
"The White Sox are asking for ‘the sun and the moon’ in trade talks for Dylan Cease, per @JonHeyman. It seems Chicago is unlikely to part with Cease before the new season" - @BRWalkoff
According to New York Times MLB insider Jon Heyman, one anonymous GM said that the asking price from Cease is "The sun and the moon." It is clear that Chicago White Sox General Manager Chris Getz is open to moving Cease in a deal, but it appears that any acquiring team will need to force Getz's hand.
Cease is coming off a down season for the Chicago White Sox, posting a disappointing 7-9 record with a 4.58 ERA last season. That being said, Cease was still able to rack up 214 strikeouts over 177.0 innings in 2023. Given the fact that the 2022 Cy Young Award Finalist is only 28 years old, there is a good chance that last season was merely a blip in his successful career.
Dylan Cease may not be the only Chicago White Sox player on the move this season
Even though there have been reports that any Cease trade will come with a sizable, there a number of other veterans on the Chicago White Sox who could find themselves on the move in 2024.
"Could the White Sox package Eloy Jimenez with Dylan Cease?" - @TalkinBaseball_
The White Sox have a number of talented players who could benefit from a change of scenery, including Yoan Moncada, Eloy Jimenez, and Michael Kopech. It remains to be seen what kind of return these players could fetch the White Sox on the trade market. Given their actions at the 2023 MLB Trade Deadline, they may prefer to simply shake things up as opposed to netting a massive return.
Last year, once it was clear that the Chicago White Sox were outside of playoff contention, the club opted to trade veterans such as Lance Lynn, Reynaldo Lopez, and Lucas Giolito.