White Sox open to trading former Cy Young finalist?

The Chicago White Sox have a new person in charge of their front office, and they seem to be ready to make some major changes following another disappointing season.

Over the weekend, the White Sox cut former AL batting champion Tim Anderson loose, and on Sunday, USA Today’s Bob Nightengale reported in a lengthy notes column that the team is open to trading starting pitcher Dylan Cease. 

Nightengale made clear that while the White Sox are not actively shopping Cease, they are willing to listen to offers on him. The 27-year-old right-hander has a lot to offer potential teams.

In five seasons with the White Sox, Cease has gone 43-35 with a 3.83 ERA and 10.8 strikeouts per nine innings. He realized his full potential in 2022 when he went 14-8 with a 2.20 ERA and finished second in AL Cy Young Award voting.

A durable pitcher, Cease made 33 starts last season and 32 in each of the two prior years. Much like many other White Sox players, Cease underachieved in 2023 and went 7-9 with a 4.58 ERA. He allowed 172 hits in 177 innings — a much higher amount than he had allowed in 2021 or 2022.

Cease is under team control for the next two seasons. He is scheduled to become a free agent after the 2025 season.