The 2023 Chicago White Sox were an unmitigated disaster.
They finished with a 61-101 record and their pitching staff was horrible.
Even former Cy Young finalist Dylan Cease, who broke out in 2022 with a 2.20 ERA and 227 strikeouts, was bad.
After his historic performance in 2022, Cease posted a 4.58 ERA in 2023.
He still racked up the strikeouts (214 in total, in 177 frames), but he was much worse from a run-prevention standpoint.
The White Sox as an organization were very poor: coaching, player development, conditioning staff, and other departments were just far from elite.
That, and some bad luck, might have contributed to Cease’s downfall.
Still, as the owner of a 3.72 Fielding Independent Pitching (FIP), he wasn’t nearly as bad as his ERA suggests.
This, plus his pedigree as a frontline starter at a good age (he will be 28 on Opening Day) and his wicked stuff has earned him lots of fans around the league.
“The Braves and Dodgers are among several teams engaged with the White Sox on Dylan Cease trade talks, per @BNightengale,” Talkin’ Baseball tweeted.
The Braves and Dodgers are among several teams engaged with the White Sox on Dylan Cease trade talks, per @BNightengale pic.twitter.com/rAH11hECYa
— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) November 27, 2023
The Atlanta Braves and the Los Angeles Dodgers are both top teams when it comes to player development.
It’s not hard to imagine Cease going to Atlanta or LA and regaining the form that made him a true star in 2022.
These teams have much more resources than the Sox, plus the right coaches and staffers.
The White Sox could be talked into trading Cease because they won’t contend anytime soon and now could be the peak of his value.
If they do, they could receive quite a package of prospects in return.
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Insider Details Latest White Sox Coaching Staff Updates