Here is how the White Sox and Cardinals match up as potential trade partners

Dylan Cease is a pitcher that Cardinals fans have had their eye on for quite some time, and with good reason.

With the Cardinals in need of three starting pitchers, Cease could be an option. It would take a haul, but it would be worth it.

On Wednesday, Derrick Goold made a list of teams who the Cardinals could trade with to get starting pitching. One of those teams was the White Sox.

Goold has spent time covering the GM Meetings in Scottsdale, Arizona this week, and has gathered some interesting intel on what teams are planning to do.

Early Wednesday morning, site expert Josh Jacobs made a list of five trade proposals that the Cardinals could offer for Cease, and you can check that out here.

Cease is of interest to the Cardinals, and he would certainly fit the mold of a top-level starter, despite a down season in 2023. The right-hander went 7-9 with a 4.58 ERA, but he remains a strikeout machine and would be a huge addition for the Cardinals.

But what exactly would it take for the Cardinals to land Cease? And how do the Cardinals and White Sox match up as potential trade partners?

How the Cardinals and White Sox match up

As previously mentioned, Cease is somebody that the Cardinals and their fans have had eyes on.

It's obvious that the Cardinals won't be able to sign all three of their new starters and will have to make a trade. This means letting go of a very valuable piece such as Nolan Gorman, Brendan Donovan, or Tommy Edman. Lars Nootbaar, Jordan Walker, and Masyn Winn could also find themselves in the conversation.

With the precarious position the White Sox are in, it appears that they are open for business.

"There are no untouchables," said new General Manager Chris Getz.

This is good news for the Cardinals if they do indeed decide to match up with the White Sox for a trade. An important thing to remember is that Cease has two more years of control. Goold believes that the White Sox could look into acquiring young talent.

The White Sox have a hole at the shortstop position now that Tim Anderson is gone, so that makes it very likely that if the Cardinals are going to trade for Cease, the White Sox will want one of Edman or Donovan, as Gorman does not play the shortstop position.

The Cardinals do have a serious logjam in the outfield, with too many players and not enough spots. Alec Burleson or Juan Yepez could be targeted. Burleson showed plenty of upside this year, while Yepez had a strong 2022 season.

Yepez is essentially blocked, so the Cardinals could stand to find him a place where he can play every day. We also know that Tyler O'Neill and Dylan Carlson are drawing interest from teams. Perhaps the Cardinals could throw one of them into a potential package.

The Cardinals and White Sox, in my opinion, are a good match. St. Louis has outfielders and players who can play the shortstop position. That is what the White Sox need right now. The White Sox also have an ace-level pitcher, which is what the Cardinals need.

Hopefully, John Mozeliak will make a call soon to offer up a trade and jumpstart the Cardinals' offseason retool.