The White Sox have traded star pitcher Dylan Cease to the San Diego Padres for right-handed pitcher Drew Thorpe, left-handed outfielder Samuel Zavala, right-handed pitcher Jairo Iriarte, and right-handed pitcher Steven Wilson, per Mark Feinsand of MLB.com. After months of rumors, Chris Getz finally pulled the trigger on trading Cease. It is time to learn more about the four players going to the White Sox.
Drew Thorpe
Drew Thorpe is the headliner of this trade. A 23-year-old right-handed pitcher, he was drafted in the second round of the 2022 draft by the Yankees out of California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. Thorpe is currently a top 100 prospect in MLB according to Baseball America, Baseball Prospectus, and Major League Baseball, a testament to his potential. The Padres acquired him in the Juan Soto trade this offseason and have now shipped him to Chicago.
In 23 starts last season between the A+ and AA levels, Thorpe had a 2.52 ERA, 0.98 WHIP, and 182 strikeouts in 139.1 innings. His changeup is his best pitch, and he has a quality slider, too. Thorpe will likely open 2024 in AA with the Birmingham Barons, but we could see him in Chicago by the end of the season. He immediately becomes one of the White Sox best pitching prospects. Thorpe has not allowed a run in seven innings this spring while striking out six.
Samuel Zavala
Samuel Zavala is the second-best piece in the trade. The 19-year-old left-handed hitting outfielder was the Padres #8 prospect before the trade. San Diego signed him for $1.2 million out of Venezuela in 2021. Despite being over three years younger than the average Low-A player, Zavala hit .267 with a .420 on-base percentage and .871 OPS in 2023. He also hit 22 doubles and 14 home runs. He struggled mightily once promoted to the A+ level but was significantly younger than his competition.
Zavala likely will not be in Chicago for several more years, but he has shown an ability to get on base at a high clip and has also drawn praise for his arm strength. The White Sox desperately lacked quality outfield prospects, and Zavala is now a promising player in the pipeline. He could soon be a top 100 prospect if he has a strong 2024 season.
Jairo Iriarte
Jairo Iriarte is a 22-year-old right-handed pitcher and was the Padres #9 prospect before the trade. His fastball is his best pitch, and he also pairs it with a quality slider. In 27 games between the A+ and AA levels, Iriarte had a 3.49 ERA, 1.28 WHIP, and 128 strikeouts in 90.1 innings. He does struggle with walks, but his stuff is good, as evidenced by his massive strikeout rates in the minors. Iriarte is similar to Thorpe in that he will most likely start the 2024 season in AA.
Steven Wilson
Steven Wilson is the fourth piece in the trade and the only player in the return with MLB experience. The 29-year-old right-handed reliever has a career 3.48 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, and 9.3 K/9 in 102 MLB appearances with the Padres. He will slot into the White Sox bullpen right away. He could be a trade candidate at the deadline if he proves he can continue pitching at a high level out of the bullpen.
Final Word
Given that three of the four players the White Sox acquired in the trade are prospects, they might take awhile to reach Chicago. While giving up a pitcher of Cease’s caliber stings, no one can deny that the White Sox got a significant haul of talent in return. We just have to hope they pan out.
A near 30 journeyman reliever and one MLB top 100 player, ranked 85. Two others ranked top 10 for the Padres but not in the top 100. Zavala is 19 and was signed for 1.2 million last year. Undrafted concerns me forcing perhaps unfair but relevant comparisons to Oscar Colas. Also once rated at #85 in MLB while ranked #2 for the WS at age 23 so 4 years older (and more mature?). Cease was off last year but has ace stuff, is durable and makes about half or less his value for 2 more years. Not a fleecing, just… Read more »