White Sox’s GM discusses what it would take for the Yankees and others to sign Dylan Cease

In a pitching-depleted market, the White Sox have a wild card in Dylan Cease.

And, while he appears to be available for acquisition, it won’t happen until another team — the Yankees are among his pursuers — offers the White Sox the value they believe he is worth.

“All it takes is one team wanting to jump out and get a deal done,” White Sox general manager Chris Getz told reporters in Chicago on Tuesday. “I don’t think there’s a club out there that hasn’t expressed some level of interest in Dylan.” Their circumstances are all unique.

“If we believe there is a fit that will benefit our club, we will strongly consider it.” At the moment, that hasn’t happened.”

The Yankees, who still have a vacancy in their rotation after losing Yoshinobu Yamamoto, are far from alone in their interest in Cease, a 28-year-old right-hander with two years left on his contract.

However, whether they have the desire (or ability) to give up the package of prospects sought by the White Sox remains to be seen, especially after sending Michael King, Drew Thorpe, Randy Vasquez, and Jhony Brito to the Padres earlier this offseason for Juan Soto.

According to The Washington Post’s Joel Sherman, executives who have spoken with the White Sox about Cease have stated that the asking price is three top prospects.

The Yankees’ toughest rival for Cease may come from within their own division.

The current AL East champions, the Baltimore Orioles, have one of the best farm systems in the game and appear to be well-positioned to put together an appealing package for Cease to improve their young rotation.

Cease, who is expected to earn approximately $8.8 million in arbitration in 2024, may also fit the Orioles’ budget better than top free-agent arms like Blake Snell and Jordan Montgomery.

The Dodgers, who have already dominated the offseason, should not be ruled out as a potential suitor.

“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,” he added. “It has to be a good fit for all parties.” Many of these discussions are still going on. Any type of trading transaction involves numerous factors. There are many conversations, preparations, study, and, of course, getting to the finish line. We’ll keep doing that during the offseason to find ways to improve our team.”

The White Sox may wait until Snell and Montgomery sign before increasing the bidding among teams that do not sign them. Getz stated that it was “tough to tell” whether this would be the case.

“When you bring up some of these higher-profile players and the impact that it may have on Dylan or others, it applies to some but not all,” Getz went on to say. “Every organization has a variety of players. Those players, how they pertain to your club, are all various considerations that must be considered.”

If no team provides the White Sox the package they want, the White Sox may start the season with Cease in their rotation and trade him at the trade deadline, though it would put him at risk of injury.

“It’s ever evolving in terms of the urgency of other clubs,” Getz told reporters. “It might be during the offseason.” It might be right before the deadline. It might happen in May. When you’re talking about 29 other teams, there are just so many different aspects to consider.”

When asked whether the White Sox will want near-ready MLB players or prospects in the lower levels of the minor leagues, Getz expressed interest in a mix.

“For sustainability, it’s important to, if you’re able to find a trade, that you want it to help you both in the short term and long term,” he said.

“So there could be players who go to our minor league system and certainly help our major league club.” You definitely want this to be a counter-attack. You’re hoping to get the benefits right away. That is not always the case. We’re looking for strategies to improve in the short and long term.”