The free agent and trade markets in MLB are, at the moment, at a stalemate.
Top free agents such as Blake Snell, Cody Bellinger, J.D. Martinez, and Jordan Montgomery, among others, haven’t signed because they feel teams haven’t offered what they are worth.
The same thing is happening in the trade market: players like Corbin Burnes, Shane Bieber, and Dylan Cease, who are candidates to be moved, have stayed put because their teams don’t like what contenders are offering.
As a result, there haven’t really been big signings in recent days with the sole exception of Josh Hader joining the Houston Astros.
The Chicago White Sox, who employ Cease, apparently want to re-stock their farm system by trading him.
“The White Sox are asking for ‘the sun and the moon’ in trade talks for Dylan Cease, per @JonHeyman. It seems Chicago is unlikely to part with Cease before the new season,” B/R Walk-Off tweeted.
The White Sox are asking for ‘the sun and the moon’ in trade talks for Dylan Cease, per @JonHeyman
It seems Chicago is unlikely to part with Cease before the new season pic.twitter.com/P6NfflTuGI
— B/R Walk-Off (@BRWalkoff) January 26, 2024
The thing here is that the White Sox are marketing the 2022 version of Cease, when he posted a 2.20 ERA and struck out 227 hitters.
They also have to weigh in his 2023 performance, which is the more recent one.
Last year, he posted a 4.58 ERA, and while he struck out 214 hitters, he showed severe command blips.
There are doubts as to whether he is an ace or not, yet Chicago is selling him as one.
Still, they have every right to value their assets as they see fit: if someone wants to meet the price, they will trade him and his two remaining team-control years.
If not, he will keep leading the White Sox’s staff until someone pays the price or they lower their demands.
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