Report: Dodgers discussing Dylan Cease trade with White Sox

The Dodgers and White Sox have made two significant trades since the 2021-22 offseason.

After acquiring Craig Kimbrel from Chicago before the 2022 season and acquiring Lance Lynn and Joe Kelly during this season’s trade deadline, the Dodgers are looking to bolster their rotation by eyeing Chicago’s ace, Dylan Cease.

Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports that the Dodgers and White Sox have engaged in talks surrounding a deal that would send Cease to Los Angeles.

In what was a down season compared to his previous two campaigns with Chicago, Cease registered a 4.58 ERA, doubling his ERA from 2022, with his strikeout rate slightly dipping and his walk rate slightly rising. One positive of Cease is his ability to make batters swing and miss, as his whiff rate ranked in the 84th percentile and his strikeout rate in the 77th percentile, netting him 214 strikeouts last season.

Adding Cease to the Dodgers’ rotation would give the team a much needed frontline starter who carries high strikeout numbers that can pitch over 170 innings. A deal for Cease would mark the beginning of a rebuild for the White Sox, as new general manager Chris Getz has put all of his players on the table for trade discussions:

“I’ve made it very clear that the White Sox are willing to listen in on any of our players,” White Sox GM Chris Getz said.

Links

The Dodgers are prepared to splurge for the Shohei Ohtani sweepstakes, but he isn’t the only Angels MVP that the Dodgers are eyeing this offseason.

Hector Gomez of Z101 Digital tweets that the Dodgers, alongside being in the mix to sign Ohtani, are open to acquiring three time AL MVP Mike Trout in a package involving “their best prospects.”

The first major free agency signing this offseason occurred yesterday, as the Phillies brought back starter Aaron Nola on a 7-year, $172 million deal. Matt Levine of Sports Illustrated notes how the deal impacts the Dodgers’ free agency targets and how this move could cause a chain reaction of major signings to come:

“It’s a little surprising that Nola signed so soon, as most bigger free agents typically don’t sign until later in the winter. But this could now open the gates for others to start signing their deals around the league.”