Will the Chicago White Sox trade Dylan Cease? ‘It’s got to be right for all parties,’ says GM Chris Getz.
The Chicago White Sox recently added right-handed starter Chris Flexen and lefty reliever Tim Hill to their pitching staff, signing both to one-year contracts in late December.
Those moves were preceded by the team’s signing of starter Erick Fedde to a two-year deal earlier in December.
Whether the pitching staff will still include starter Dylan Cease when spring training arrives next month remains to be seen.
Cease continues to be at the center of trade speculation, with a different team reportedly in pursuit seemingly every other day. Sox general manager Chris Getz provided an update Tuesday during a video conference call with reporters.
“We’ve had conversations about Dylan Cease, but I also know that we’re not going to move a player like Dylan or anyone else unless we feel like we’re going to benefit,” Getz said. “So it’s got to be right for all parties.
“A lot of these conversations are ongoing, there’s a lot that goes into any sort of trade transaction, there’s a lot of conversations, build up, research and obviously getting it to the finish line.”
Cease is in demand for several reasons.
The 28-year-old, who finished second in the American League Cy Young Award voting in 2022, has two seasons remaining of team control. He has been dependable, making at least 32 starts in each of the last three seasons. And he’s continued to miss bats, with more than 200 strikeouts in each of the past three years.
Cease went 7-9 with a 4.58 ERA in 2023, tying for first in the American League in starts (33) and ranking fifth in strikeouts (214).
“I will say he’s fairly unique in how he does not get distracted and that’s what makes him a special pitcher and a pitcher that could pitch for any club in any city,” Getz said. “That’s why his value is so high.”
Getz said it was tough to tell whether the free-agent pitching market, which as of Tuesday afternoon still included the likes of 2023 National League Cy Young Award winner Blake Snell and Jordan Montgomery, was having an impact on the pitching trade market.
“When it comes to whether it be a Cease market or any other player’s market, we’re certainly not operating in a vacuum,” Getz said. “Some teams have a little bit more financial flexibility than others. All it takes is one team to want to jump out, perhaps, and get a deal done. In the case of Dylan, I don’t think there’s a club out there that hasn’t expressed some level of interest in him. All their situations are different.
“When you bring up some of these higher-profile players and the impact it may have on Dylan or others, I think it applies to some, but not all. Every organization has different types of players. Those players, how they apply to your club, those are all different factors that go into making a decision. If we feel like there’s a fit that improves our club, we’ll certainly consider it. Certainly, it hasn’t happened at this point.”
When it comes to hypothetical trade, involving Cease or not, the Sox have the short-term and long-term in mind for their return.
“For sustainability, it’s important, if you’re able to find a trade, you want it to help you both in the short term and long term, so potentially there could be players that go to our minor-league system, certainly could help our major-league club,” Getz said. “You certainly want this to be a balancing attack.
“You hope that you’re able to benefit immediately, sometimes that’s not the case. We’re looking for ways to get better, both short term and long term.”
Front office changes continue for Sox
Getz began Tuesday’s conference call thanking Jeremy Haber for his contributions and saying the assistant general manager “is eventually going to be leaving the White Sox.”
“We have a close working relationship, but also personal relationship, and this is something that we’ve been talking about for the last couple of months,” Getz said. “Jeremy and I, we love to work together. We’ve gotten to know each other’s families, so from a personal standpoint, I don’t like the fact he’s not going to be part of the White Sox family anymore. But certainly wish him well. Very bright guy, he’s done a lot for the organization and myself.”
Last season marked Haber’s 11th in the organization and ninth as assistant general manager after being promoted to the position in February 2015.
USA Today’s Bob Nightengale first reported the news and that Jin Wong — most recently the vice president of baseball administration/assistant GM for the Kansas City Royals — is joining as an assistant general manager. A source confirmed to the Tribune Wong’s hire by the Sox.
