The Chicago White Sox were a team many kept an eye on at the 2023 trade deadline due to their struggles and having multiple players who drew interest.
They began the process of becoming sellers by trading Lucas Giolito and Reynaldo López to the Los Angeles Angels for prospects Ky Bush and Edgar Quero, both of whom were ranked highly in the organization. The Dodgers were among the teams with interest in Giolito, and two days later wound up acquiring Joe Kelly and Lance Lynn from the White Sox.
Meanwhile, Dylan Cease remained with the White Sox despite a bevy of interest in what ended up being a sellers’ market.
However, as the White Sox face the prospect of a rebuild, general manager Chris Getz indicated the team would be willing to trade Cease and Eloy Jiménez, according to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic:
But at least one other club, the Chicago White Sox, is willing to consider anything and everything. First-year GM Chris Getz, speaking to reporters Tuesday, said he was “open for business,” willing to entertain trade offers for right-hander Dylan Cease, left fielder Eloy Jiménez and others.
As the Dodgers look to bolster their starting rotation this season and search for corner outfield help, Cease and Jiménez could be on their radar.
Cease 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. The right-hander also fared well the season prior, going 13-7 but with an inflated 3.91 ERA and 1.25 WHIP.
Cease regressed this year as he finished just 7-9 with a 4.58 ERA and 1.42 WHIP. Furthermore, Cease has issued an AL-worst 259 walks since the start of the 2020 season.
All the more concerning is his fastball velocity declined 1.2 mph from last year and Cease’s slider this past season had the highest run value (10) from his arsenal.
Cease, 27, is under team control via salary arbitration through the 2025 season.
Jiménez also had somewhat of a down season compared to a year ago that was injury-shortened, but still hit a productive .272/.317/.441 with 23 doubles, 18 home runs and 64 RBI.
Although he is more of a designated hitter, the 26-year-old does have experience in the outfield, and he could also be a fallback option if the Dodgers miss out on Ohtani.
In four seasons after winning AL Rookie of the Year in 2019, Jiménez has appeared in 314 games and batted .278/.328/.476 with 59 doubles, 58 home runs and 196 RBI.
Eloy Jiménez contract details
The White Sox signed Jiménez to a six-year, $43 million contract in March 2019. At the time he was one of MLB’s top prospects and had yet to make his MLB debut.
Jiménez’s deal includes team options for 2025 and 2026, valued at $16.5 million and $18.5 million, respectively.
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