With White Sox Listening to Offers on Everyone, Dodgers Must Get Dylan Cease in LA
The MLB trade deadline is a little over 24 hours away, and the Dodgers aren’t done making moves. LA has been heavily linked to Justin Verlander over the past 24 hours, as they still have a huge need in the starting rotation.
Other options include Jack Flaherty from the Cardinals or Eduardo Rodriguez from the Tigers, but late Sunday night, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reported that another starting pitcher could find himself on a new team before the August 1 deadline.
“The White Sox are listening on Dylan Cease and everyone else on their roster. The perception among many in the industry is that Cease and center fielder Luis Robert Jr. remain all but untouchable. But some rival executives see the White Sox’s willingness to entertain offers as an opening, however small.”
Via Ken Rosenthal, The Athletic
Dylan Cease would instantly be the best starter on the market if the White Sox are willing to move him, and while Rosenthal does say the chances seem small, the Dodgers have the farm system to get anyone — and that includes Cease.
Cease is just 27 years old, and won’t be a free agent until 2026. While he’s having a down year for the struggling White Sox, he’s coming off a 2022 season in which he had a 2.20 ERA and 227 strikeouts in 184 innings, and finished second in American League Cy Young voting — only behind Verlander.
Cease is an ace-caliber pitcher, and he would fortify an LA rotation that’s in desperate need of help. With Julio Urias and Tony Gonsolin struggling, Clayton Kershaw injured, and three rookies in the rotation, LA desperately needs a consistent force, especially come postseason time. Lance Lynn can’t be the only answer.
Cease would take an absolute haul to get, but considering he has a few more years of team control and is blossoming into one of the best young pitchers in the game, he’s worth it for LA.
A postseason rotation with Cease, Urias, Kershaw and maybe even Bobby Miller would be more than viable, with Gonsolin and Lynn ready to help in long relief.
Cease seems unlikely to be traded, but Rosenthal left the door open for a potential move. With the door even slightly ajar, LA needs to make an offer to get the 2022 Cy Young finalist in LA for the next few seasons.
Photo Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
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Give them any one they want, except Bobby Miller or Diego Cartaya. Go with Busch or Vargas, Grove or Stone and Pepiot. Throw in Phil Bickford and Austin Barnes as “gimmes”. That’s five guys for Cease. all five of which have MLB experience.
Dodgers definitely need to get someone they can keep for next year. Kershaw and Urias are not guaranteed to be resigned, Buehler is returning from 2nd TJ surgery, May is out, which leaves Gonsolin, Miller, Pepiot? and Sheehan. No ace, no reliable innings eater.
Maybe they do need Ohtani-son!