Dylan Cease Trade: Future of White Sox pitcher could be decided in the next four days as talks intensify

Although there are a number of high-priced pitchers on the free agent market, that has not prevented teams from inquiring about Dylan Cease. The Chicago White Sox ace has been the subject of trade rumors for some time as the team began its roster overhaul last season.

Now, according to MLB insider Jon Morosi, the Dylan Cease sweepstakes may come to an end sooner rather than later. It has been reported that the trade talks surrounding Cease have heated up over the past few days, with some close to the situation expecting that a move could be completed before the MLB Winter Meetings, which are set to begin on December 3rd.

"Sources: Dylan Cease trade talks have intensified in the last 48 hours, and some people close to the negotiations believe a deal *before* the winter meetings is increasingly possible. Cease’s hometown Braves are among the finalists. @MLBNetwork @MLB" - @jonmorosi

A number of teams are reportedly interested in acquiring Cease from the Chicago White Sox, with many believing that the Atlanta Braves may be the top contender to pull off the deal.

The Atlanta Braves enter the 2024 season with one of the best rosters in baseball. However, the team's biggest question marks come with the team's rotation. Although Spencer Strider is one of the top pitchers in baseball, the rest of the staff has struggled with injuries or consistency in recent seasons, which makes Dylan Cease an intriguing target.

"Dylan Cease strikes out 10 per 9 innings & has made 32 starts each of the last three seasons. The only caveat in bringing him to Atlanta is that he’s a free agent in ‘26 & he just happens to be a Boras client. Otherwise, Cease slotted into the Braves rotation would be a dream." - @LeslieMinesIII

A closer look at Dylan Cease's 2023 campaign

It was a disastrous 2023 season for the Chicago White Sox, as the club missed the playoffs for the second consecutive year. Just as the team struggled, so did Cease, who fell well below the Cy Young Award expectations that some had for him when he entered the year.

The 27-year-old, who finished second in American League Cy Young voting in 2022, posted a 7-9 record with a 4.58 ERA and 214 strikeouts over 177.0 innings. It remains to be seen what kind of package the Chicago White Sox will demand for Cease, however, given their rebuilding state, the team will likely be seeking top prospects in return for their ace.