Here are the 7 starters the Cardinals need to target to save their rotation for 2024

3. Dylan Cease

The Chicago White Sox are looking to blow up their roster, and the Cardinals need to be one of the teams most involved in negotiations for Dylan Cease.

Cease has two more years of club control, eats innings, and is a true top-of-the-rotation talent. Unlike Gilbert, Cease showed in 2022 that he can be a Cy Young-type pitcher, and frankly, he just has better stuff as well. Even though Cease had a down 2023 season, his stuff was still there and he still ate a ton of innings.

In a trade for Gilbert, the Mariners are going to want more in return than what the White Sox would get, and it would need to be Major League talent. Chicago may ask for a Gorman or Donovan as the centerpiece of a package, but would likely take top prospects to fill out the package or maybe even as the entire package. I recently created different trade packages that I think the Cardinals could offer the White Sox for Cease.

Cease's low salary for 2024 would also allow the Cardinals to potentially add a Gray, Montgomery, or some other starter who could bolster this rotation in a major way. Like Snell, Cease is someone you do not want to see in October, so grabbing him for the 2024 and 2025 seasons would be a huge win for the Cardinals. If things go well, they can always try to extend Cease as well.

This scenario is feeling more and more likely as the weeks go on, so continue to monitor the White Sox as the offseason unfolds.