The Chicago White Sox are shopping their prized starting pitcher, Dylan Cease, this offseason. With two years of control, a manageable salary, and ace potential, Cease would be a game-changer for any starting rotation in baseball. Teams such as the San Francisco Giants, Los Angeles Dodgers, Chicago Cubs, and Cincinnati Reds, among others, are all interested in the starting pitcher.
Recently, a package that was asked for from the Reds was leaked. This package included four of the Reds' top prospects for Cease. This is a good place to start for a potential trade from the Cardinals.
This trade includes the Reds' #2 prospect, Rhett Lowder, according to MLB.com, their #6 prospect, Chase Petty, their #9 prospect, second baseman Carlos Jorge, and their #11 prospect, shortstop Sammy Stafura. We can make some assumptions about this package: first, the White Sox seem to be more interested in prospects, either near-ready prospects or younger prospects, and second, the Cardinals will have to be willing to give up multiple high-end prospects of their own.
There are a few comparable trades St. Louis can provide to match the Reds' offer. St. Louis can offer either Tekoah Roby (#5) or Tink Hence (#2), either Chase Davis (#3) or Victor Scott (#4), plus Thomas Saggesse (#9), and Won-Bin Cho (#13) or Travis Honeyman (#11). These prospect rankings match those of the Reds, but the Reds' prospect pipeline is stronger than St. Louis's.
If the White Sox are seeking a multitude of pitchers, St. Louis could send Tink Hence, Gordon Graceffo (#6), or Cooper Hjerpe (#7), plus a major league player such as Tommy Edman, Brendan Donovan, or Nolan Gorman. A lower-end prospect, perhaps someone in the 10-15 range, would finish off the deal in this case.
Chicago seems intent on dealing Dylan Cease this offseason. St. Louis can get creative with their trade package, but we now have a general idea of what it may take to get the All-Star pitcher. Would you make either of these trades for Dylan Cease?
Stay tuned to Redbird Rants for more rumors, news, and updates this offseason!
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