Dylan Cease trade talks have intensified in the last several days with MLB Network’s Jon Morosi reporting on Wednesday that “some people close to the negotiations believe a deal before the winter meetings is increasingly possible.”
Now Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic is reporting that that the Cardinals are in the mix with the White Sox ace writing: “The Cardinals, sources say, remain interested in Cease even after signing Sonny Gray, Kyle Gibson and Lance Lynn.”
This would be an interesting addition for the Cardinals, who have acquired three pitchers who already have some question marks this offseason. Lynn and Gibson figure to be inning eaters at the back of the rotation but the Red Birds figure to still be in the market for a true ace.
Cease has shown the ability to be just that but he is coming off a season where his 2.20 ERA from his Cy-Young runner-up campaign in 2022 doubled to 4.58 in 2023. His velocity and strikeout rate also fell slightly. However, Cease has ranked inside the MLB’s top ten in strikeouts in each of the last three seasons. Those bat-missing capabilities give him trade value regardless of the down season.
The Cardinals already have Miles Mikolas and Steven Matz locked into their rotation through 2025. Cease would add some much-needed depth, especially considering some of Lynn’s recent struggles. He would also provide the most upside of anyone in that rotation.
The Cardinals are going to face some stiff competition in the Cease sweepstakes. They are already up against the Braves and Dodgers. When you factor in his Cy Young caliber stuff, two years of control and affordable $8M salary it makes sense. The Cardinals have little to offer in their farm system so putting together a trade package would be difficult.
MLB Pipeline’s mid-season rankings had the Cardinals farm system ranked 22nd, which is even lower than the White Sox. That’s not to say they have nothing to offer. Infielder, Masyn Winn, the No. 32 ranked prospect in baseball and right-handed pitcher Tink Hence (No. 45) would surely be two names to keep an eye on in a potential trade.
Considering the White Sox already have Colson Montgomery waiting in the wings and just drafted another shortstop Hence is the name that makes the most sense as a headliner in a potential return. He has a mid-90s fastball with a plus curveball, according to scouts.
Last season he dominated in his first 11 starts in High-A Peoria with a 2.81 ERA with 46 strikeouts in 41.2 innings. However, he struggled once he was called up to Double-A with a 5.47 ERA and 1.51 WHIP.
Because the farm system is bare other names to keep an eye on could already be on the Cardinals roster. Brendon Donovan, Nolan Gorman, Alec Burleson, Luken Baker, and Matthew Liberatore all have multiple years of control remaining that would fit into Chris Getz’s timeline as he tried to retool the roster.
