White Sox Trade Dylan Cease to Padres for Haul of Prospects

Both pitchers are rather close to the majors. In fact, MLB Pipeline projects both players to be ready in the upcoming 2024 season. During Spring Training, Thorpe has pitched seven shutout innings for the Padres. He was involved in the Juan Soto deal back in December. He only pitched at High-A and Double-A last season, so he might get a shot later in the year. However, he was dominant at both levels to the tune of a 2.52 ERA in 23 starts. 

As for Iriarte, he has a high ceiling, but some command issues to work out. He split time between High-A and Double-A, pitching to a 3.49 ERA in 27 appearances (21 starts). That said, he fanned 128 batters in just 90.1 innings of work. The potential is there, but some development will be required for the new-look development staff headlined by Director of Pitching Brian Bannister. 

Finally, Zavala is quite the addition to the trade. The outfielder is 19 years old and split the 2023 season between Low-A and High-A ball. There is still a lot of development to be had for Zavala, but he gets on base a ton. In 101 games at Low-A (he only played 14 games at High-A), Zavala had a .420 on-base percentage. His .267 average doesn't jump off the page, but for a 19-year-old kid, his numbers are pretty impressive. He had fair pop and drove in a total of 77 runs. 

Wilson will also be a welcome addition in the trade. He will immediately step into the Sox bullpen and find a role. In 53 games last season, Wilson pitched to a 3.91 ERA. His 3.06 ERA the season before shows the type of impact reliever he can be right out the gate. 

Now that Cease is gone, there are already reports suggesting that Michael Lorenzen is a potential target to take his place in the rotation. As things stand, it appears that Michael Kopech may be in line to start on Opening Day for the White Sox. However, that is all up in the air as of now. 

One thing is for sure, Dylan Cease will be wearing brown and yellow in 2023 instead of the Southside's black and white.