Report: Yankees re-engage with White Sox on Dylan Cease trade discussions

(670 The Score) The trade market for White Sox right-hander Dylan Cease has movement in it.

The Yankees have re-engaged with the White Sox on trade discussions surrounding Cease, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reported Tuesday. The development came as the Yankees await MRI results on ace Gerrit Cole’s right elbow, which has caused concern as Cole hasn’t rebounded well between throwing sessions.

In the latest conversations, the Yankees haven’t included touted outfield prospect Spencer Jones in any offers, Nightengale reported. The 22-year-old Jones is the 84th-ranked prospect in baseball, according to MLB Pipeline, and is coming off a 2023 season in which he hit .267 with 16 homers, 66 RBIs, 43 stolen bases and a .780 OPS in 117 games split between High-A and Double-A.

The 28-year-old Cease is coming off a down season but is still viewed across MLB as a dominant pitcher. He posted a 4.58 ERA and 1.42 WHIP in 177 innings across 33 starts in 2023. Cease was the American League Cy Young runner-up in 2022, when he had a 2.20 ERA and 1.11 WHIP in 184 innings across 32 starts.

Cease has also been as durable as any starter in MLB in recent years, making a combined 97 starts across the past three seasons. He has two years of contract control left.

There has been a widespread belief across MLB that the rebuilding White Sox would trade Cease this offseason, but that hasn’t happened yet, in part because reigning National League Cy Young winner Blake Snell and left-hander Jordan Montgomery haven’t signed with new teams in free agency yet. The thought has been the clubs that miss out on Snell and Montgomery would then turn more attention to Cease and submit better offers.

In the case of the Yankees, it might be an injury that forces their hand.