Dylan Cease was among the likelier players to be traded over the offseason. The White Sox stuck firm to an asking price that teams haven’t been willing to meet, though, and it seems the hard-throwing righty will instead be a top deadline candidate. GM Chris Getz declared at the start of camp that the Sox anticipate Cease being on the Guaranteed Rate Field mound on Opening Day.
That remains the case, assistant general manager Josh Barfield tells Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times. Barfield said that while opposing teams remain in contact with the Sox about Cease, there’s “nothing imminent” on the trade front. “We’re preparing him to be the Opening Day starter,” Barfield reiterated.
Barring a surprising acceleration in trade talks over the next three weeks, Cease will lead a rotation with a fair bit of uncertainty. KBO signee Erick Fedde is penciled into a spot. Getz has indicated the Sox prefer free agent pickup Chris Flexen as a starter, while trade acquisition Michael Soroka has a good chance at a rotation job. Returnees Michael Kopech and Garrett Crochet are battling for spots in camp.
While Crochet is stretching out from relief work to this point in his MLB career, Kopech trailed only Cease in starts for the team last year. That makes it seem likely he’ll be in the season-opening five, but manager Pedro Grifol indicated that isn’t a guarantee. “He’s getting built up to be one of our starters,” Grifol said of Kopech (link via Scott Merkin of MLB.com). “I know we want to talk about it, but I think in about another week, we’ll talk about it. Right now, everybody is just competing.”
Kopech indicated that while he prefers to occupy a rotation spot, he’s amenable to whatever role the team asks. The right-hander worked in relief in 2021, turning in a 3.50 ERA across 69 1/3 innings. He stretched out to the rotation two seasons ago. Kopech found success in his first season as a starter, outperforming middling strikeout and walk numbers to manage a 3.54 ERA in 25 appearances. His production fell off last year, as he allowed 5.43 earned runs per nine. No other pitcher with at least 100 innings walked batters more frequently. Kopech handed out free passes at an untenable 15.4% clip.
That was one of a number of disappointing performances for the Sox as they fell to a 101-loss season. On the position player side, rookie right fielder Oscar Colás had one of the more underwhelming showings. Viewed as one of the better prospects in a thin farm system, the lefty-hitting Colás managed only a .216/.257/.314 slash line over his first 75 games. He was optioned to Triple-A midway through the season. Colás hit .272/.345/.465 over 54 games at the top minor league level.
Getz indicated that trade pickup Dominic Fletcher is in the driver’s seat for the right field job this spring. Colás has gotten some exhibition work at first base as he looks to expand his utility for a possible bench role. The Sox have used him exclusively in the outfield during regular season play in the majors and upper minors. Colás got scattered reps at first base early in his professional career in Cuba and Japan, so he’s not entirely unfamiliar with the position, but he conceded there’s an adjustment period as he tries to acclimate to the infield dirt.
“Right now, it’s just an adjustment. I can’t say I feel completely comfortable, but I’m working on feeling comfortable again there,” the 25-year-old told reporters via interpreter over the weekend (link via Merkin). “I’ll play wherever they want me to play. What I want is just to play baseball.” Colás isn’t going to be an everyday option there but could offer cover for Andrew Vaughn over the course of the season if the Sox trust him for regular season work.
I have to admit I really wanted the White Sox rebuild to have success; five years ago there was so much hope and I feel really bad for their fans. They did pretty much everything right and then their owner mucked up and forced Tony L into the dugout. Hopefully they either get good again with Robert in his prime or they trade him for a huge haul.
That’s what I hope so too.
The White Sox did not do everything right. The rebuild was over before it started because Jerry refused to spend money rounding out the roster with a few good players. Hence, Rick Hahn tried to make do with DH’s and first basemen playing in the outfield. The ensuing collapse was predictable.
Not necessarily true on the last part. White Sox had high expectations coming into 2023. RH wanted to sign Harper, Machado and Wheeler and tried to trade for Ohtani at the 2022 trade deadline. KW wanted and went the “cheap” way. Because the payroll was 29th at the time, they could offer all 3 of them. Offers were 7 year 175m for Harper, Wheeler for 125m not sure about the years, Machado 8 year and I believe 250m. If they landed 2 or 3 of them I believe the White Sox could of won at least 1 World Series.
Machado isn’t going to win anyone a World Series, ever. Signing 3 free agents is not a rebuilding plan.
That’s awesome the White Sox made non-competitive offers to some of the top free agents.
Sox actually had the high offer to Wheeler. Wheeler chose Philly to be close to his fiancee’s family. The offers to Harper and Machado were jokes, though.
Spending was not expected. Williams and Hahn knew the budget. They spent it poorly. Too much in the Bullpen. Never solving RF or 2B, but getting two closers. Meanwhile the farm was still barren. (Lets promote Getz!) Williams did the same thing when he traded Sale, Quintana and Eaton. He dug himself into a budget crunch with poor signings, so he traded that teams future for this teams future, got promoted, and watched things repeat from a higher perch.
Jerry Reinsdorf refuses to spend at the top of the market. He consistently overruled Hahn on free agents. It got so bad that Hahn actually offered to resign, but Reinsdorf would not let him.
This team is going nowhere until Jerry Reinsdorf is no longer the managing partner.
On the flip side, Jerry’s reign of terror is ending sooner rather than later.
How do you know that? He’s the Mr. Burns of the baseball world.
It’s not that simple. Kenny Williams made disastrous decisions for many, many years.
That’s what I mean by the “cheap way”. My bad for not clarifying it.
Right? Stupid drunk Tony
If they can trade Cease for a great deal of talent it would help the out of the pits, but it’s a start, only
If Cease gets injured or does not perform well all that goes up in smoke, and all the talk will be about what teams offered for him this winter. It’s a big gamble keeping him until the deadline. Getz will either look like a genius or a complete fool.
The Sox are improved over last year. Everywhere except Manager of course. They had a chance to get a really good candidate in Espada but of course chose the cheap way. Their rotation has some good arms. The pitching coach stinks too but maybe talent will overcome all that. How much they’re improved, wait until the games start I guess. But in that division anything can happen.
Yes bc the ALC is weak. They need just about everything right to win the ALC. Its 50/50 at this point. Could positive culture help them win games? Could the offense step up? Could the Sox avoid the IL? Your last sentence is basically correct.
The starters have potential. The bullpen is horrible. However a couple of ST cuts and smart waiver P/U’s could help them. They must have a low waiver claim.
Their pitching can be “ok” at best. Getz hasn’t been terrible so far.
Sounds like another lost season on the South Side
It’s tryouts season for 2024. Basically let’s see what the rookies can do, and who develops into a major league player. The hope is the player development is improved and some rookies take a step forward while Getz trades the likes of Eloy, Cease, maybe Moncada if he puts up a good first half.
Getz not being in PD is an improvement.
Cease will be 2-5 with a 5:00 + era at the deadline. Let’s see how they like him then. Ahahaha!
I only wish the ol Hawkeroo along with his strange partner, the Stone Pony – could be together for the call on the 162 game schedule.
I could imagine the ‘spin’ the 2 of them would put on the play on the field. You’d think you were watching the 27 Yankees.
The new guy is just as big of a cheerleader as Hawk and the guy that just left for Detroit. He’s in full promo mode. If he keeps repeating the “exciting new culture” or “wow, this team is fun” lines the front office scripted for him, I’m going to throw a brick through the TV.
Yes, the south side of Boston too
Sad when a management chooses to be bad & force young prospects & minor leaguers onto the roster when ok mlb players sit unsigned. Pedro as Lou Brown is not the role he thought he was hired for.
Ok players won’t make a difference anyway. If you’re not trying to win, you’re trying lose.
I don’t think they are trying to lose. Chris Getz knows he can’t turn the Sox into contenders in one offseason. I think Getz hopes 2024 is far better than 2023.
Then refund ticket holders & open the gates if you’re offering Connie Mack league play…
Why? Who bought tickets without knowing the situation the team was in this year?
Opening Day countdown: 27
Less than that
Cease at the deadline. ThenRobert in the offseason and be ready 3 or 4 years down the road
Getz is interested in keeping Robert.
I hope that works out for you
Trading Robert would completely contradict his priority for defense.
Sign Taylor if defense is a concern.
I like the potential of having Garrett Crochet in the rotation.
If the Sox stay healthy, they will shock the baseball world by being competitive until August.
If they shock the world then they won’t be sellers in the trade deadline. The ALC didn’t get much better this off-season. The ALC is a blessing and a curse for the Sox.
The only real question I have about the White sox is will they lose more or less than 100 games
It’s 50/50 tbh. They improved defensively and fundamentally, but the only thing they truly got worse is their bullpen. You could argue the entire pitching but some of their starting rotation wasn’t that “bad” a few seasons ago like Cease, Fedde, Flexen. The starting rotation could be ok at best, same for bullpen. White Sox do have an average track record when it comes to pitchers having bounce back seasons. For example, Cueto, Middleton, Clevinger, Hendriks, Cease. The first three were flat out terrible before they came to the White Sox, they definitely hit the jackpot on Hendriks turning him from an average to elite closer.
Getz overplayed his hand. There were several teams interested. Take the best deal and move on.
How is Getz going to feel if two weeks from now the headline is “Cease Sidelined with Elbow Tightness”? So much for the trade deadline in that case.
Taking the best deal is probably the wrong approach. You don’t trade players for the best deal. You attempt to maximize a player’s value. Try using trade simulators to find the actual/real player value. Cease is worth at 2 top 100 prospects and a lower prospect rn. If he stays til deadline and has an average season then 1 top 100 prospect and a lower prospect. Getz is definitely taking a risk, but as said before Cease could still bounce back. He fell short getting a CY Young in 2022.
Cease going down with an injury is not maximizing his value. And that’s a very real risk for any pitcher in baseball. I predict this will blow up in Getz’s face.
If the White Sox traded both Cease and Robert they could get a massive haul. I bet a prospect rich team like the Orioles would unload half the farm for the two of them. The White Sox are taking a risk that Cease will pitch well enough to get teams to increase their bids for him. It’s not like he was special last season.
Yes but the Orioles overvalue their prospects.
The Orioles have the top rank farm system for the 4th year in a row. Only two of their prospects got them Corbin Burnes.
Ranked 1st I believe. But Cease had 1 more year of control than Burnes.
But Burnes is a true ace while Cease looks more like a mid rotation starter.
True.
Yet the White Sox over value Cease, so shouldn’t it work out?
You need to learn how to negotiate. Buyers are whining that the price for Marlins starters are also too high.
Here’s a memo: Buyers are not willing to deal good prospects this offseason. That is fine. Good negotiatiors are patient. Easy to offer nothing that stings when 0-0, but not when your rotation is a horror show that kills your BP in April/May. Sellers will wait it out while writers and fans of “interested buyers” convince themselves the sellers are unreasonable instead of asking what good offers did the buyer have turned down.
Any player can get hurt….so what? You don’t trade good pitchers in short supply b/c someone wishfully thinks they can get your guy for scraps.
Take out Cease’s Cy Young year and look at his career. That’s why they won’t get what they are asking for. White Sox are trying to sell just that one year.
Exactly. Cease is like snell except snell did it twice. Plus snell is a lefty which makes him more valuable. As you can see via snells free agency teams a worried he will regress. Cease has already regressed. Cease is a good add for any team but 3+ top prospects is an insane ask even with two years of a cheap contract.
Unless things changed, Cease did not win the CY award in 2022. At least, Snell won 2.
Cease has thrown more pitches than any pitcher in MLB for the past 3 years. His FB velocity is down in 2023. He has thrown more pitches per inning than any qualified starting pitcher in MLB. There are some rather significant downsides to Ceases.
No one is talking about scraps. The Brewers traded Burnes to the O’s for a very good pitcher and a very good shortstop — one a Top 100 prospect and the other a former Top 100 prospect.
I’m a fine negotiator. I said he’s worth before and assuming good performance. Cease has been very healthy throughout most of his career which isn’t a bad thing whatsoever. Nobody knows what truly happens in a FO no matter the team. Fans judge and criticize the organization’s moves such as trades, signings, etc.
Aiden….the comment was in response to “niched”.
Didn’t know that my bad.
Actually it was “stay down chump” that had the cliche comment above about he could get hurt/take whatever. Amateurish drivel.
Whoever he roots for can take that approach with its players or guarantee older guys Lorenzen/Clevinger 20-25 mil over 2yrs if stingy on prospect sacrifice.
The Cardinals need him!
There’s a group of people who blamed the Sox disappointing .500 season on Tony La Russa and Leury Garcia (for some reason). Both were gone before the next season started and they lost 100+ games.
Sometimes there are more than two variables.
Your absolutely correct.
Troubling trend of talented young pitchers losing their skills seemingly overnite in recent yrs
Cease, javier, flaherty, manoah
The f is going on?
I’m so sick of Kopech.
Andrew Vaughn isn’t the answer at 1b.