The Los Angeles Dodgers have bolstered their starting rotation with the acquisitions of Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Tyler Glasnow this offseason, but they may not be done adding to the group.
The team remains in the market for another starter and had been linked to Lucas Giolito before he signed with the Boston Red Sox. L.A. has also shown interest in Blake Snell and Shōta Imanaga at various points this winter, but both pitchers will likely receive a bigger contract elsewhere.
The trade market still has several intriguing options as well, with Shane Bieber, Corbin Burnes and Dylan Cease among the frontline starting pitchers believed to be available.
Cease has drawn widespread interest from teams and the Dodgers are still in the mix to land him, per Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic:
The White Sox are weighing offers for Cease, and the Yankees and Orioles are among those to express “sincere” interest, according to major-league sources briefed on the discussions. Other teams also are serious, however. While the exact list of suitors is not known, the Dodgers, Cardinals and Red Sox are among the teams possibly in the mix.
After posting a disappointing 61-101 during the 2023 season, White Sox general manager Chris Getz indicated the club would be “open for business” this offseason.
The White Sox have holes to fill throughout their roster and would stand to benefit from acquiring young talent, which could be accomplished by trading Cease.
The 28-year-old enjoyed a breakout season in 2022, when he went 14-8 with a 2.20 ERA and finished second for the American League Cy Young Award. However, Cease regressed last year as he posted a 7-9 record with a 4.58 ERA, 3.72 FIP and 1.42 WHIP.
The right-hander was hurt by a struggling White Sox defense that ranked the worst in baseball. But another trouble spot for Cease are his 259 walks since the start of the 2020 season — the most in the AL during that span.
Dylan Cease contract details
Cease is under team control through the 2025 season by way of salary arbitration. Thus, any team that acquires him would have Cease in their rotation for two full seasons.
Because of that, the cost to acquire the right-hander will be quite high, but that control also adds to the reason he is intriguing to so many teams.
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