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Earlier Tuesday, I heard that the Texas Rangers could be close to acquiring Chicago White Sox right-handed pitcher Dylan Cease. The tip turned out not to be true, at least at the time, but two sources briefed on the talks confirmed that the teams were involved in recent discussions.
Which makes sense. There are increasing signs that the White Sox are getting more serious about trading Cease. And the Rangers will begin the defense of their championship in 2024 with an inconsistent coaching staff.
As one Rangers person said, speaking on condition of anonymity: “Have you seen our rotation in the first half?”
That rotation is currently expected to include Nathan Eovaldi, Jon Gray, Andrew Heaney, Dane Dunning and Cody Bradford. It’s not terrible. But ideally the Rangers would add a top-of-the-rotation guy while awaiting the return of three injured starters (Jacob deGrom, Max Scherzer and Tyler Mahle) around or after the All-Star break.
In the early part of the offseason, the Rangers’ top pick was thought to be free agent left-hander Jordan Montgomery, who after reaching the trade deadline played a pivotal role during the team’s march to its first World Series title. . But ownership resisted, apparently due to uncertainty about future local television revenues.
One might question that stance, considering the Rangers should generate huge revenue this season as they reap the benefits of winning the Series and prepare to host the 2024 All-Star Game. But Cease, who makes $8 million and has another year left of arbitration eligibility, is a better fit financially than Montgomery.
If healthy, a second-half rotation that includes Cease, Eovaldi, deGrom and Scherzer would not only make the Rangers heavy favorites to win the AL West, but would also significantly improve their chances of becoming the first consecutive Series champions from the 1998 to 2000 New York Yankees.
He Dallas Morning News reported that White Sox scouts have “descended en masse” on Rangers camp this week. Several members of the White Sox front office have scouted the San Diego Padres in a similar manner, sources said.
The question for the Rangers is whether they would be willing to make the White Sox’s long-awaited return, which sources say is within reach of these three players, if not specifically them: utility man Ezequiel Durán and pitching prospects Brock Porter and Jack Leiter.
Jack Leiter is one of the names being discussed in a possible package of prospects in exchange for Dylan Cease. (Joe Camporeale/USA Today)
Durán, 24, emerged as a valuable piece with the Rangers last season, batting .276 with a .768 OPS and playing six different positions. Porter, 20, is the team’s No. 5 prospect, according to the athletic one Keith’s Law. Leiter, 23, was the second overall pick in the 2021 draft, but has yet to live up to expectations. Law ranked him as the Rangers’ No. 14 prospect.
When presented with those names, a rival executive who was not involved in the termination discussions described the potential package as “realistic.” Cease didn’t have as strong a 2023 season as Corbin Burnes, whom the Baltimore Orioles acquired in exchange for left-handed pitcher DL Hall, infielder Joey Ortiz and the No. 34 pick in the 2024 draft. But his extra year of control of the club makes it arguably more valuable. And the White Sox, rebuilding under new general manager Chris Getz, have set the bar high.
For two years off, the Rangers might consider the price worth it. In 2022, Cease’s breakout season, he went 14-8 with a 2.20 ERA, finishing second to Houston’s Justin Verlander in American League Cy Young Award voting. Cease wasn’t as effective in ’23, going 7-9 with a 4.58 ERA. But league executives still view him as a potential ace.
Surely the Rangers aren’t the only team interested in Cease. The Padres need help in the rotation. The New York Yankees, reportedly waiting for news on Gerrit Cole’s right elbow, checked in. Other clubs could also be in the mix. The White Sox, meanwhile, are committed to free agent right-hander Michael Lorenzen, a potential replacement for Cease, according to a source. Lorenzen could also be an option for the Yankees.
White Sox manager Pedro Grifol asked him Tuesday if he still believes Cease will be the team’s opening day starter. told reporters“I don’t know. I mean, how am I supposed to know? I don’t know what’s going to happen out there. I don’t know where the other teams are or what their urgency is.”
Cease made his third start of the spring on Tuesday night, allowing one run in 3 1/3 innings against the Cincinnati Reds. His Cactus League ERA, in 8 1/3 innings, is 2.16.
— The AthleticAndy McCullough contributed to this report.
(Top photo by Dylan Cease: Michael Reaves/Getty Images)