Yankees dropped the ball by not improving offer for Dylan Cease

The Yankees had a chance to not just weather the storm, but to come out ahead.

Jon Heyman and Mark W. Sanchez of the New York Post reported on Wednesday that Yankees pitcher Gerrit Cole was traveling to Los Angeles for an appointment on Thursday with sports surgeon Dr. Neal ElAttrache. Cole was expected to miss one to two months at a minimum due to concerns about his right UCL. Although Heyman and Sanchez reported that Cole has undergone an MRI, CT scan and X-rays, his elbow requires more testing.

Cole's elbow woes put the Yankees back into the conversation for White Sox pitcher Dylan Cease. Bob Nightengale from USA Today reported that the Yankees made a new offer for Cease on Tuesday. That offer did not include outfield prospect Spencer Jones, whom the White Sox have coveted.

The Yankees' pursuit of Cease ceased on Wednesday. Jeff Passan of ESPN reported that the White Sox traded their ace to the Padres. Dennis Lin of The Athletic reported that multiple top prospects were heading to Chicago as part of the trade. According to Jon Morosi from MLB Network, those prospects are pitchers Drew Thorpe and Jairo Iriarte.

This is why the Yankees were unable to land Cease. Their refusal to part with Jones is understandable from a long-term standpoint. However, by acquiring Juan Soto, it is clear that their window of opportunity is right now. 

Cole's injury adds even more questions to a rotation that was the Yankees' potential Achilles' heel. Carlos Rodon and Nestor Cortes need to bounce back from injury-plagued and disastrous 2023 campaigns. Marcus Stroman is a solid starting pitcher but is best suited as a second or third starter for a contender. Adding Cease would have helped bridge Cole's absence. If Cole could return as hoped, the Yankees could have had one of the better starting rotations in the game. 

Instead, the Yankees dropped the ball. In doing so, their hopes for a World Series title could have disappeared as well.