Yankees Emerging As A Trade Partner For Dylan Cease

Well, Chris Getz may have played his cards right. There were plenty of rumors that a Dylan Cease trade was close right before the Winter Meetings, but for some reason, they decided to pull back and wait to let the market develop. This was likely to wait and see what teams missed out on Yoshinobu Yamamoto, the prized free agent pitcher from Japan.

After Yamamoto signs, there will be a few teams that missed out on a potential ace for their rotation. This will then increase the demand for Cease, thus raising the asking price. This is a good move by Getz, as he can now get aggressive teams in on the bidding, like the Yankees, who want to make another splash after the Juan Soto trade. It is unclear of the Yankees interest in Cease prior, but it has been reported by Ken Rosenthal that the Yankees are among the teams monitoring Dylan Cease if they miss out on the Japanese ace, Yamamoto.

This is a great scenario for the White Sox. The Yankees have been known to be a very aggressive team, and they seem to be going all in on this year. This could lead to them having to outbid other teams for Cease's services. This would put pressure on other teams like the Orioles and Reds, smaller markets who won't be spending a significant amount of money on a free agent pitcher, creating a bidding war for Cease.

The Yankees farm system is not nearly as good as the Orioles or the Reds, but they could still easily put together a package that would interest the White Sox.

As of right now on MLB Pipeline's Top-100 prospect list, the Yankees have four top-100 prospects. They have the 73rd, 74th, and 75th ranked prospects, all of which are outfielders, and the 95th prospect, who is a right handed pitcher.

While they lack a true top prospect, they still have a handful of quality prospects the White Sox would most certainly be interested in. The White Sox do lack a quality outfield prospect to take over right field, so this could be a match.

A deal could be headlined by Jasson Dominguez, a 20 year old outfielder. He currently ranks as the 74th ranked prospect, but he was ranked as high as 32 in 2021 as an 18 year old. Dominguez is a 5-tool prospect who could easily take over right field for the next decade in Chicago. He has the potential to hit 20 home runs and have 40 stolen bases. Just because his ranking has fallen does not mean his talent has gone anywhere, as he has still put up some very productive seasons. He made his way to NY last season and hit four homeruns in just eight games. If the Sox could get Dominguez in a trade, he would be a great headliner. He would easily start in RF for the Sox in 2024.

The Sox would also likely ask for Chase Hampton, the 95th overall prospect. He is a 22 year old pitcher currently in AA. Last year he performed well, as he pitched to a 3.63 ERA over A+ and AA. He has some dominant offerings, as he is well over a strikeout an inning. He also keeps the walks down, which is a great trait for a pitcher. He would likely need another year or two in the minors, but he is rising quickly.

After getting two top-100 guys, the Sox would likely need a bit more, as they are lower ranked prospects in the top-100. They would likely target an arm or two in their top-10 prospects, such as Will Warren, their 8th ranked prospect.

The Yankees definitely have the ability to make a trade for Cease and they could make a very competitive offer. If they offer Dominguez as a headliner, this could be a great deal for the Sox if they get some nice supporting pieces. If you pin the Yankees against the Orioles, two division rivals, this could be an absolute haul, especially considering what the Rays got for Tyler Glasnow.