5 Cardinals trade packages for Dylan Cease with the White Sox listening to offers

Trade #4

Cardinals receive: RHP Dylan Cease

White Sox receive: 2B Nolan Gorman, RHP Michael McGreevy, and C Leonardo Bernal

Here's a deal I'm completely out on, but I'm offering it up as a look at what the White Sox may end up asking for. Even with Cease coming off a down year, he was second in AL Cy Young voting in 2022, so they may be unwilling to move him without a major piece in return.

Nolan Gorman would certainly qualify as that.

The White Sox still need to sell tickets, and getting a ton of prospects or Tommy Edman in return doesn't necessarily do that. Gorman could provide them with a young building block for their future contender, while also giving them someone to watch next season.

The Cardinals cannot trade Gorman. If they would rather trade Gorman to get their pitching than spend the money, that is a massive mistake. The best lineups in baseball need left-handed power in their lineup, and Gorman certainly qualifies as that and is on his way toward being one of the most feared power hitters in our game. Gorman only played in 119 games this year and had an awful month of June, and still hit 27 home runs with 76 RBIs in the process. Did I mention he's just 23 years old and plays second base as well?

The Cardinals cannot give up Gorman. It would be a massive mistake and one they will regret for a long time. So if the White Sox ask for this and won't budge, I'm out.

Here's what scares me though. No one is saying the Cardinals are shopping Gorman. I really do believe they want to keep him and their best young position players for a long time. They would much rather trade Carlson, Burleson, Edman, or Tyler O'Neill. But when reporters talk about who the organization consistently says is not available in deals, Gorman's name doesn't always come up. I don't think that means they want to trade him, but it makes me think they aren't as "unwilling" to as I am.

If the Cardinals give up Gorman in a deal, I would imagine the rest of the package is thinner than the other ones we have looked at. Michael McGreevy has a very low-ceiling as a pitch-to-contact, back-of-the-rotation starter, but is still a helpful piece to have. Leonardo Bernal is a very intriguing catching prospect, but Ivan Herrera's presence makes him expendable here.