It's the offseason saga that just simply won't end. For months, Chicago White Sox fans have waited anxiously for the deal that will send Dylan Cease out of town. Rookie general manager Chris Getz continues to have a high asking price for the 28-year-old right-hander who has two years of arbitration control before reaching the open market.
Despite being an obvious trade partner with several contenders over the winter, a deal never materialized. There was a lot of smoke behind a potential deal with the Atlanta Braves, but veteran GM Alex Anthopolous indicated that a trade was never really close to being consummated, causing the six-time defending NL East champions to pivot to former Sox ace, Chris Sale.
All winter, White Sox fans held out hope that Mike Elias would quit being a prospect hoarder in Baltimore and use some of the excess capital from the top farm system in baseball to acquire a starting pitcher the team desperately needs after their embarrassing October exit a year ago. Now, the team did use some of its spare parts to acquire Corbin Burnes, who is admittedly a superior pitcher to Cease. But given that the Orioles are in the heart of their competitive window, their time to strike is now.
The Waiting Game
If the last three seasons of White Sox baseball have taught us anything, it's that if something bad can happen to the team it usually will. Yes, as Sox fans, we inherently fear negative outcomes for this team, it's simply part of our DNA, but having just gone through a contention window that never really materialized has only reinforced this belief.
Early in the offseason, I questioned when the right time was to make the eventual Dylan Cease trade. I didn't think he'd be reporting to Camelback Ranch to prepare for the 2024 season, barring a trade to the complex's other tenant, the Los Angeles Dodgers, who are still in search of their first non-Mickey Mouse championship since 1988. So, for Cease to still be donning the Pale Hose uniform on March 4 is a bit of a surprise to me.
Sox fans are now holding their breath every time Cease steps on the rubber. For an organization that has been plagued by untimely injuries during what was supposed to be a golden era for the franchise, another one to the team's lone realistic remaining trade piece would be a gut punch of epic proportions. Cease's Cactus League debut went off without a hitch as he delivered two scoreless innings against the defending World Series champion Texas Rangers, but that doesn't quell any anxiety for the South Side faithful.
With each pitch he throws for the White Sox, there's a tremendous risk that something could go wrong. That's why I believe most of us are still holding out hope that a trade can come to fruition before the team breaks camp in just a few weeks. There's a counterargument that Cease has an opportunity to rebuild additional value with a strong start to the season, particularly after a down 2023 campaign. However, I don't know of many Sox fans who want to challenge that risk calculus.
There's Still Time
Just because Dylan Cease is still a member of the White Sox organization on March 4 doesn't mean he'll be around on Opening Day, or even tomorrow for that matter. Pitcher injuries are simply an occupational hazard, and they occur more frequently at this time of year than any other. For that very reason, there's still an opportunity that the deal Chris Getz has been holding out for could be set in motion at any time.
For contending teams, injuries to their starting rotations during the spring can be the type of thing that can have major ramifications over the six-month marathon that is a baseball season. The aforementioned Baltimore Orioles are already feeling these effects as Dean Kremer and John Means will begin the season on the injured list, which will test a pitching staff that was already questioned by many.
For a team that is in the heart of its contention window, seeing two starters begin the year on the shelf could be the type of thing that results in a season not going according to plan. The Orioles have already seen the Bronx Bombers reinforce their squad over the winter with the additions of Juan Soto, Alex Verdugo, and known #FAKE guy, Marcus Stroman. The Orioles now seeing two starters who were being heavily counted on miss significant time could put Baltimore behind the eight ball in the always competitive AL East.
After the Orioles won an AL-best 101 games a year ago, PECOTA has them pegged to finish in fourth place with 86 wins, deadlocked with the Rangers for the final playoff spot in the junior circuit. All teams, especially small-market teams like Baltimore, need to strike while the iron is hot when they have a squad that can realistically compete for a title. Given the lack of depth the O's pitching staff already faces, losing two rotation mainstays is not a recipe for success.
The Orioles aren't the only team that could acquire Cease out of necessity. There's no way to predict pitching injuries, but they happen every year. Any contender is simply one pitch away from needing to address their rotation as the regular season inches closer by the day. There are members of the White Sox fan base who believe that Getz has misplayed his hand by holding out for a king's ransom on Cease, but high-valued commodities have high asking prices.
We simply don't know how the rest of the spring will unfold for contenders like the Yankees, Dodgers, Cincinnati Reds, Arizona Diamondbacks, or Chicago Cubs. I'm not pining for injuries with those respective teams, but they still can happen. Even outside of injuries, deals happen in the spring's final days all the time.
On two separate occasions, former White Sox reliever Craig Kimbrel was traded in the leadup to the regular season. In 2015, he was dealt by the Atlanta Braves to the San Diego Padres a mere 24 hours before the season began. In 2022, the Sox sent the veteran reliever to the Dodgers seven days before the delayed season got underway.
So, while some fans still have angst that a deal hasn't been completed yet, it can still happen. We still have 24 days until the season begins, and a lot can change between now and then. Injuries and a desire to round out a roster can still take hold over contending teams in search of October glory.
White Sox fans have no choice but to hold their breath each time Dylan Cease releases the baseball from his hand. Fear is one of the constant emotions that grips this fan base, and it will undoubtedly persist as long as the righty is still wearing the black and white. At this point, all we can do is hope something doesn't go wrong and that this saga reaches a peaceful conclusion in short order.
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