Although the bulk of top free agents have signed, a few star players remain on the free agent and trade markets as teams continue to set their roster for the 2024 season.
The Los Angeles Dodgers have done most of their heavy lifting after signing Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Teoscar Hernández, while also trading for Tyler Glasnow, but they have remained on the lookout for roster upgrades, specifically to their pitching staff.
For much of the offseason, they have been connected to Dylan Cease of the Chicago White Sox as well.
Cease is one of the top remaining arms available, and numerous teams have been in discussions to acquire the ace. But with less than one month until pitchers and catchers report, Cease isn’t likely to be the centerpiece of a deal if the White Sox don’t lower their asking price, per Mark Feinsand of MLB.com:
“I would say Cease doesn’t get moved at this point,” an NL executive said. “The White Sox are not budging on price, and teams don’t seem to have interest in paying that price.”
Cease’s breakout season came in 2022, when he finished second in the American League Cy Young race. He endured a rough 2023 campaign, tallying a 4.58 ERA and 1.42 WHIP, along with 259 walks. Cease would improve on those numbers as the White Sox defense was among the worst in Major League Baseball.
Among the teams that have been connected to Cease include the St. Louis Cardinals, Philadelphia Phillies, Baltimore Orioles, Boston Red Sox and New York Mets. Although all those teams have the assets to get a deal done, it seems none of them are inclined to overpay.
Should the Dodgers make a move to acquire Dylan Cease?
With how the rotation looks at the moment, the Dodgers aren’t in need of a big name starting pitcher. The Dodgers currently have Yamamoto, Bobby Miller, Glasnow and Walker Buehler in their rotation, with a fifth spot up for grabs.
Emmet Sheehan appears to be the likely fifth starter, and the Dodgers remain interested in adding another pitcher as they are set to slow play Buehler in his return from Tommy John.
But it’s more likely they pursue a back-of-the-rotation innings eater or utilize their Minor League pitching depth rather than making a splashy deal, especially with the current asking price for Cease.
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