The trade talk surrounding Dylan Cease has quieted in recent weeks, but per The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal, the White Sox are still more than likely to move the right-hander by Spring Training.
In a Tuesday afternoon appearance on Foul Territory, Rosenthal reported that, owing to the dearth of starting pitching on the free agent market, the White Sox could be waiting for the few remaining big names to come off the board to drive up demand for Cease among clubs who miss out on the likes of Blake Snell, Jordan Montgomery, and Marcus Stroman.
White Sox general manager Chris Getz was more hesitant to commit to a deal involving Cease in a Tuesday afternoon phone call with reporters. Asked about Cease’s future with the White Sox, Getz said that there “[isn’t] a club out there that hasn’t expressed some level of interest” in the 28-year-old but that the club would not move Cease unless the right offer came through.
“Whether it’s a Cease market or any other player’s market, we’re certainly not operating in a vacuum,” Getz said. “Some teams have a little bit more financial flexibility than others. All it takes is one team to want to jump out, perhaps, and get a deal done.”
Rosenthal named the Yankees, Red Sox, Giants, Orioles, Cubs, and Rangers among the clubs most in need of starting pitching, with the Orioles’ depth likely to make them the strongest contender should they pursue a trade for Cease further.
Jan. 8: Are Giants the best fit for Chapman?
Any team interested in Chapman must weigh the positives and negatives in his profile. He is a dependable power hitter who has played in at least 140 games in each of the past five full seasons. In 2023, he ranked in the 98th percentile or higher in barrel rate and hard-hit rate. And defensively, the two-time Platinum Glove winner remains very strong at the hot corner.
Conversely, Chapman’s 17 homers last season were his fewest in a full season, and a right middle finger injury impacted his results at the plate, which included a .659 OPS after April 30. His strikeout rate has been north of 27% in each of the past four years. After declining the qualifying offer from the Blue Jays, Chapman will cost his new team at least one Draft pick and money from its international bonus pool in addition to a likely nine-figure contract.
Considering all of that, The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal (subscription required) wrote Monday about why the Giants could make sense as a landing spot for Chapman as he enters his age-31 season.
Jan. 8: Mets ‘actively trying’ to trade for starting pitching
With Sean Manaea in tow, per source, the Mets’ starting rotation options now include Kodai Senga, José Quintana, Luis Severino, Tylor Megill, Adrian Houser, Joey Lucchesi and Manaea (plus David Peterson when he returns from injury).
Although that collection could be good enough for the Mets to contend in 2024, MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand reports that New York isn’t done trying to address its rotation. According to Feinsand, Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns is “actively trying to trade for more starting pitching.”
Jan. 8: Yankees, RHP Stroman have ‘mutual interest’
The Yankees don’t have much to show yet for their efforts to upgrade their starting rotation this offseason. But as their push for pitching continues, perhaps the Yanks will come to an agreement with Marcus Stroman.
According to USA Today’s Bob Nightengale, the two sides have “mutual interest,” something that began during the GM Meetings in November. This comes one day after Nightengale wrote that Stroman told the Yankees that “he’s seriously interested in signing with them, but the Yankees have declined to make an offer.”
Jan. 8: Hoskins ‘makes so much sense’ for Cubs
The Cubs have an opening at first base that could still be filled by Cody Bellinger. But if Chicago can’t re-sign its 2023 star, there is one other free-agent first baseman who “makes so much sense” for the Cubs, according to MLB Network insider Jon Paul Morosi. That’s Rhys Hoskins.
Jan. 8: Rays reportedly shopping DH Ramírez
Tampa Bay is shopping designated hitter, Harold Ramírez, sources told The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal (subscription required). Acquired via trade with the Cubs before the 2022 season, Ramírez has put up a .306/.348/.432 slash line in two seasons with Tampa Bay. That period includes just 18 home runs over 803 at-bats, but Ramírez has shown good contact skills (17.4% strikeout rate) and has posted a .374 average and a .921 OPS against left-handed pitching.
The 29-year-old has two years of club control remaining and is projected to receive $4.4 million in arbitration in 2024, per MLB Trade Rumors. Trading Ramírez could allow the Rays to give more plate appearances to 25-year-old Jonathan Aranda and their No. 3 prospect, infielder Curtis Mead.
Joc Pederson, J.D. Martinez, Jorge Soler, Brandon Belt, and Rhys Hoskins are among the players available to clubs looking for a DH in free agency. Ramírez could present those teams with another route to filling that need.
Jan. 7: Are Yankees poised to make major rotation additions?
As they search for rotation help, the Yankees are continuing to negotiate with free agents Blake Snell and Jordan Montgomery. They also remain involved in trade talks with the White Sox regarding ace righty Dylan Cease.
While there’s no indication the Bronx Bombers are close to adding any of those pitchers yet, MLB Network insider Jon Heyman reports in an article for the New York Post that there’s a belief the Yankees will ultimately add a significant starting pitcher before the offseason is over, with managing partner Hal Steinbrenner “said to be on board with the concept of a serious addition to a rotation.”
Jan. 7: What’s next for the Dodgers after the reported deal with Teoscar?
The Dodgers have had an offseason for the ages by acquiring Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Tyler Glasnow, and Manuel Margot and re-signing Jason Heyward. Their busy winter continued Sunday with a reported one-year, $23.5 million deal with Teoscar Hernández, per MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand. Will this deal complete the Dodgers’ offseason, or are there more moves on the way?
Jan. 7: Red Sox listening on Jansen, Yoshida
While the Red Sox continue to explore several options to add to their roster, they could also look to trade away multiple players to keep their payroll in check.
According to USA Today’s Bob Nightengale, Boston is telling teams that All-Star closer Kenley Jansen — owed $16 million in the final year of a two-year contract — is available. The team is also willing to listen to outfielder Masataka Yoshida, who signed a five-year, $90 million deal with the Red Sox last offseason.
Jan. 7: Which teams are possibilities for Stroman?
While MLB fans wait to see where the top free-agent pitchers, such as Blake Snell and Jordan Montgomery, will end up, other players on the open market are doing the same. If not for an injury-marred second half of last season, Marcus Stroman might have been included in that lead tier. But now, per MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand, Stroman will likely have to wait for at least one of those aforementioned hurlers to sign before finding his future MLB home.
On the bright side, Stroman appears to have a rather robust market. Feinsand writes that the Giants, Angels, Orioles, and Red Sox have been connected to the 32-year-old right-hander, and a reunion with the Cubs “can’t be ruled out.” On Friday, MLB Network insider Jon Paul Morosi mentioned the Phillies as “a really good possibility” for Stroman.
USA Today’s Bob Nightengale reported Sunday that Stroman, a New York native, has let the Yankees know he’s “seriously interested” in signing with them. However, the Bronx Bombers haven’t made him an offer as they pursue higher-profile targets such as Blake Snell, Jordan Montgomery, and Dylan Cease.
Stroman earned his second All-Star selection in 2023 as he carried a sub-3.00 ERA and a .566 opponents’ OPS into the break. But he made only four starts the rest of the way — and none after July — due to hip and rib ailments.
