MLB Rumors: Dodgers interested in Dylan Cease trade with White Sox
The Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago White Sox have discussed the possibility of sending Dylan Cease to LA, according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today. Cease isn't being actively shopped, but Chicago appears open to foundational changes as new GM Chris Getz tries to reset the stage following last season's miserable 61-win finish.
One year removed from a second-place finish in AL Cy Young voting, Cease's numbers plummeted across the board. He finished the 2023 campaign with a 7-9 record across a league-high 33 starts, posting a 4.58 ERA and a 1.418 WHIP.
Essentially, Chicago would be cutting ties at Cease's low point. He's under team control for another two seasons with an estimated 2024 contract value of $8.3 million after arbitration, per Spotrac. Cease would still sit at the top of the White Sox rotation next season and he's only 27 years old, so he has plenty of gas left in the tank.
If the Dodgers can put together a compelling offer, Cease would bring a lot to a pitching staff that stands to lose Clayton Kershaw. Bobby Miller is a promising young talent and Walker Buehler is due back from injury, but the lack of a proven, healthy ace is stark. Cease mixes a high whiff rate (31.0 percent, 84th percentile) and a low walk rate (10.1 percent, 25th percentile), per Baseball Savant. He punches the plate with 95.6 MPH heat and tempts swings and misses with a slippery slider, which constitutes 39 percent of his pitches.
Los Angeles is expected to pursue several high-profile pitchers in free agency, with Sonny Gray, Eduardo Rodriguez, and Blake Snell all floating around the market. That's without mentioning Shohei Ohtani, who should be back on the mound in 2025. Cease would come at the expense of the Dodgers' farm system, which could dissuade them in advance of a potential Mike Trout pursuit.
MLB Rumors: Cubs face competition to sign Jeimer Candelario
The Chicago Cubs will face several opposing forces vying to sign Jeimer Candelario in free agency, according to MLB insider Jon Morosi. The Washington Nationals, Toronto Blue Jays, and Los Angeles Angels are all interested in signing the infielder and DH.
Chicago sent two top-20 prospects to the Nationals to acquire Candelario at the 2023 trade deadline. In 41 games with the Cubs, the 29-year-old bashed six home runs and 17 RBIs while slashing .234/.318/.445 at the plate. He made 157 plate appearances total, registering 39 strikeouts and 17 walks.
It wasn't a particularly great stretch from Candelario, who made appearances at third base, first base, and DH as Chicago made a point to use him in different spots. Still, there's reason to believe more familiarity and comfort with his new home could yield improved results — assuming the Cubs make the effort to re-sign him. Candelario slashed .258/.342/.481 before the trade.
It's a bit ironic, then, that Washington pops up as a potential threat to poach Candelario. It would be quite the savvy bit of business from the Nats' front office to squeeze a couple top-20 prospects out of Chicago for a half-season rental. Especially one that didn't even result in a Cubs postseason appearance.
The Angels and Blue Jays could also use the boost on offense. Los Angeles could be especially needy depending on how the Ohtani sweepstakes plays out.
MLB Rumors: Sonny Gray connected to Cardinals as John Mozeliak targets pitching
The St. Louis Cardinals are said to be pursuing "multiple starting pitchers," according to Nick Deeds of MLB Trade Rumors. One name frequently connected to the Cardinals has been Sonny Gray, who finished second in Cy Young voting (and 18th in MVP voting) with the Minnesota Twins last season.
For a while, St. Louis was considered as a favorite destination for Philadelphia Phillies ace Aaron Nola. While the two sides talked, an offer was never made, per Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Nola signed a seven-year contract with Philadelphia, taking one star pitcher off the market. As the clock ticks, the Cardinals — who emptied out the bullpen at the trade deadline — are expected to swing big for immediate upgrades.
Gray will have a wide range of suitors, so the Cardinals will have to devise a compelling pitch and offer a sizable chunk of cash to bring him to storied Busch Stadium. Gray grew up in Tennessee, so he's from the south, but the Atlanta Braves are also a pitcher-needy team in the area. The Cardinals will face stiff competition.
If he does opt to sign with the Cardinals, Gray would immediately take over the No. 1 mantle in the rotation. The Cardinals are also linked to Jordan Montgomery and Yoshinobu Yamamoto in Deeds' report, so that's not necessarily set in stone. But Gray packs a mean collection of off-speed pitches, encouraging a high ground ball rate (48.0 percent, 77th percentile) and keeping runs off the board. He posted a 2.79 ERA and 1.147 WHIP last season, with a league-best 2.83 FIP. He commands the plate, limits explosive hits, and pitches deep into games.
In short, the Cards would no doubt love to have him and he would make a pronounced difference. Last season's 71-91 record was a huge disappointment relative to the team's high preseason expectations. The front office is clearly eager to right the ship quickly.