San Diego Padres starting pitcher Dylan Cease blanked a red-hot Chicago Cubs offense in Wednesday's 10-2 victory, firing six strong innings on two hits and two walks with seven strikeouts for a win. The Cubs entered the day second in baseball with 71 runs scored, but Cease was up for the challenge on Wednesday. Since Christopher Morel reached on Ha-Seong Kim's fielding error in the fourth inning, Michael Busch's two-run home run represented two unearned runs on Cease's ledger. The 28-year-old right-hander looks to be getting more comfortable after landing in San Diego in March, registering a 2.16 ERA, 0.84 WHIP, and 20:6 K:BB over his first 16 2/3 innings (three starts) of the campaign. His next start is lined up for a potential pitching duel with right-hander Freddy Peralta next Tuesday against the hot-hitting Milwaukee Brewers. Cease threw seven two-run innings in his lone start against Milwaukee in 2023.

San Diego Padres right-hander Dylan Cease is in search of his first win as a member of the club when he takes on the rival Giants on the road. The former White Sox ace surrendered three runs (two earned) on two hits and two walks against six strikeouts in 4 1/3 innings in his Padres debut against the very same Giants on March 30, taking the loss in the process. The 28-year-old endured a down 2023 season after finishing second in AL Cy Young voting in 2022, tossing a 4.58 ERA across a career-high 33 starts. He should be able to bounce back if his 3.87 ERA ATC projection holds but he also has a history of control issues as evidenced by his 10.4% career BB%, putting a cap on his fantasy value.

San Diego Padres right-hander Dylan Cease will make his debut with the team as the starter in the second exhibition game on Monday against the LG Twins after Jhony Brito starts the first game on Sunday. Manager Mike Shildt said Cease will probably aim for two to three innings in that start. The Padres made an unexpected spring splash when they acquired Cease from the Chicago White Sox this week to give them a starting rotation boost for 2024 alongside Joe Musgrave, Yu Darvish and Michael King. The 28-year-old former sixth-round pick in 2014 by the Cubs disappointed with a 4.58 ERA and 79 walks in 177 innings in 2023, but he's struck out 200-plus hitters in each of the last three seasons and was the runner-up for the American League Cy Young in 2022. The move to SD makes Cease an even more attractive No. 3 fantasy starter because of his swing-and-miss stuff.

The San Diego Padres have acquired star right-hander Dylan Cease from the Chicago White Sox. The 28-year-old's name has been a staple in the rumor mill this offseason with Cease being connected to a number of teams. Ultimately, it's the Padres who have acquired the 2022 AL Cy Young runner-up. Cease worked to a 2.20 ERA in that 2022 campaign but regressed to a 4.58 ERA across 33 starts in the 2023 season. He sports a career 3.83 ERA across 123 big-league starts along with a strong 28.1% K% in that time. However, he also tends to struggle with control by way of a 10.4% career walk rate. Cease's fantasy value gets a boost from a wins perspective on a superior Padres club but a move from the weak AL Central to what should be a strong NL West can have a negative impact.

The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal reported Tuesday that there are "growing indications" that the Chicago White Sox are more serious about trading starting pitcher Dylan Cease, and that the Texas Rangers may have been in recent discussions. The reigning World Series champions currently have several key injured rotation pieces and also lost Jordan Montgomery to free agency, so bringing in a pitcher like Cease would greatly help them. While he has yielded varying results throughout his career, Cease still projects as a higher-end fantasy option. Joining the Rangers would certainly give his fantasy value a relative boost.

The New York Yankees, while awaiting news on right-hander Gerrit Cole's elbow, have re-engaged the Chicago White Sox and made a new trade proposal for ace Dylan Cease. However, the new offer once again didn't include prized outfield prospect Spencer Jones, so it's unclear if the White Sox will seriously consider it. Cole is now unlikely to be ready for Opening Day, and he could miss extended time, depending on what further tests on his elbow reveal. The 28-year-old Cease would give the Yankees another weapon at the top of their starting rotation. If he remains in Chicago, Cease is expected to start on Opening Day on March 28 as he looks to bounce back from a disappointing year in 2023 after finishing second in the AL Cy Young voting in 2022. Cease has plenty of strikeout upside for fantasy managers and would become even more attractive if he were wearing pinstripes in the Bronx.

The Seattle Mariners have shown interest in trading for Chicago White Sox pitcher Dylan Cease. The 28-year-old is set to make eight million dollars this year and is poised to become an unrestricted free agent in 2026. After excellent 2021 and 2022 seasons, Cease regressed and had an average performance in 2023 with a 4.07 expected ERA and 1.42 walks and hits per inning pitched. The Mariners had one of the best rotations a year ago, led by Luis Castillo, George Kirby, and Logan Gilbert, while youngster Bryan Woo showed flashes. If Cease could return to his old form, he would further bolster one of the league's better rotations.

Chicago White Sox pitcher Dylan Cease is believed to be staying put for now despite several teams interested in acquiring the right-hander. The White Sox have reportedly put a high price on the 2022 AL Cy Young runner-up but rival clubs have yet to pony up to the current asking price. As a result, the club is likelier to hold onto Cease into the regular season and see if their price is met prior to the trade deadline. While the 28-year-old tossed a 2.20 ERA in 2022, he slipped to a 4.58 mark across 33 starts in the 2023 season while seeing regression in walk rate, strikeout rate, ground-ball rate, and home run rate. In 123 career starts across parts of five big-league seasons, Cease sports a 3.83 ERA alongside a 17.7% K-BB% in 658 innings pitched, making at least 32 starts in each of the last three seasons.

Right-hander Dylan Cease and the Chicago White Sox settled at $8 million for the 2024 season to avoid salary arbitration on Thursday, according to sources. Cease finished second in the American League Cy Young voting in 2022 by going 14-8 with a career-best 2.20 ERA (3.10 FIP) and 1.11 WHIP with a league-high 78 walks and career-high 227 strikeouts over 32 starts (career-high 184 innings). He took a big step back in 2023, though, with a 4.58 ERA (3.72 FIP) and 1.42 WHIP with 79 walks and 214 K's in 33 starts (177 innings). The 28-year-old is widely expected to be traded, at least by this summer's deadline, and he's extremely attractive to other clubs given his nasty stuff and high strikeout rate, not to mention two more years of club control. Cease is an attractive bounce-back candidate in 2024, especially if he's dealt to a contender.

Trade talk surrounding Chicago White Sox right-hander Dylan Cease has quieted in recent weeks, but it's not due to lack of interest. General manager Chris Getz said there "isn't a club out there that hasn't expressed some level of interest" in the 28-year-old hurler. The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal said the White Sox could be waiting for the few remaining big names on the free-agent market to come off the board to drive up demand for Cease among teams who miss out on the likes of Blake Snell, Jordan Montgomery and Marcus Stroman. Chicago's reported demand is high, as they're reportedly seeking multiple high-end prospects and some "fill-ins" in return. Both Rosenthal and ESPN Chicago's Jesse Rogers indicated that the Baltimore Orioles could be the strongest contender for Cease because of their deep farm system, which features six players ranked in MLB Pipeline's top-100 prospects.

The Athletic's Jim Bowden doesn't think the New York Mets are suitors for Chicago White Sox right-hander Dylan Cease this offseason because their new president of baseball operations, David Stearns, wants to be able to see the team's prospects for himself in spring training and wants to build the organization through scouting and player development, and to make a trade of this magnitude would set that process back. If the White Sox even approached the Mets about a trade, they'd likely be after some of the Mets' top prospects in Luisangel Acuna, Kevin Parada, Drew Gilbert, Jett Williams and Mike Vasil, potentially among others. Cease has two years of club control remaining and Cy Young-winning upside if he can put everything together in 2024.

The Chicago White Sox are weighing offers for right-hander Dylan Cease, and the New York Yankees and Baltimore Orioles are among those to express "serious" interest, according to major-league sources briefed on the discussions. Other teams are serious, too, with the Los Angeles Dodgers, St. Louis Cardinals and Boston Red Sox possibly in the mix. The Yankees moved seven pitchers to the San Diego Padres for outfielder Juan Soto, and after losing out on Japanese right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto, they might be inclined to push for Cease, who will cost around $25 million in his final two years of arbitration, as opposed to expected deals of at least $150 million for free-agent left-handers Blake Snell and Jordan Montgomery. The Orioles, who has one of the best farm systems, are seemingly better positioned than the Yankees to make a trade. The 28-year-old Cease was a Cy Young runner-up in 2022 but had a 4.58 ERA last year.

MLB Network's Jon Morosi reported Tuesday that the Seattle Mariners could be a potential trade destination for Chicago White Sox right-handed starter Dylan Cease. The 28-year-old's name has been at the center of trade talks this offseason, and while the Baltimore Orioles have been one of the teams popping up more frequently, Morosi said the Mariners could potentially trade for Cease and then trade away one of their younger pitchers for a hitter. Cease maintained his high strikeout numbers but regressed overall in 2023, going 7-9 with a 4.58 ERA, 1.42 WHIP, 27.3% strikeout rate, and 10.1% walk rate in 33 starts and 177 innings pitched. While there is a chance Cease does not end up getting traded, the consensus is that he will have a new uniform in 2024.

Chicago White Sox starting pitcher Dylan Cease is being talked about in trade rumors. The White Sox don't seem inclined to move Cease right away, possibly until Yoshinobu Yamamoto is signed. The Reds and Orioles are contenders for Cease's services. The Yankees, Braves, Giants, and Rangers are also considering making a move, according to Rosenthal. After posting a 2.20 ERA and 180 ERA+ in 2022, Cease fell on hard times last season. The 27-year-old pitched to a 4.58 ERA and 97 ERA+. Cease did rebound to end the season, however. He pitched to a 4.75 strikeout-to-walk ratio in September. The former Cub farmhand won't be a free agent till 2026, meaning the White Sox may not be in a hurry to move him. Cease may not cost as much as he has in the past in fantasy, making him a good option in the middle rounds.

Rival teams are suggesting that the Chicago White Sox are now "pulling back" on right-hander Dylan Cease trade talks this offseason. The White Sox are likely waiting to see who misses out on coveted Japanese right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto. Despite trade talks stalling for Cease, he's still a good bet to be traded this winter. The Los Angeles Dodgers, Atlanta Braves, Baltimore Orioles and Cincinnati Reds have been the teams most linked to Cease, who has two years remaining of club control. Because of that, Chicago is asking for a lot for Cease, who is just a year removed from finishing as the runner-up in the American League Cy Young voting. A drop in velocity and strikeout rate led to a disappointing year in 2023, but Cease is a prime bounce-back candidate with three straight 200-strikeout seasons.

The Chicago White Sox's asking price for right-hander Dylan Cease is very high, as it should be for a player with two years of control and an $8 million contract. The Cincinnati Reds were asked for four of their top prospects in exchange for Cease, including right-handers Rhett Lowder and Chase Petty and their Nos. 9 and 11 position-player prospects. The 27-year-old Cease was the runner-up in the American League Cy Young voting in 2022, but he regressed the past season while seeing drops in his velocity and strikeout rate. The rebuilding White Sox are dead-set on dealing him this offseason, though, and Cease could certainly have a nice rebound campaign in 2024, depending on his landing spot. Despite control issues and a 4.58 ERA in 2023, Cease managed to fan over 200 hitters for the third straight season.

MLB Network's Jon Morosi reported Monday that the Baltimore Orioles are among the teams that have talked with the Chicago White Sox about starting pitcher Dylan Cease. General manager Mike Elias said, "I'm hopeful that this pitching staff will look stronger at the end of the offseason than it did a month ago." The O's have one of the strongest and deepest farm systems in the big leagues, putting them in a favorable position to improve their rotation through trades. "We're as well-equipped as any team to rattle off prospect packages for any player," Elias said. The O's are one of several teams tied to the 27-year-old, who is under team control through the end of the 2025 season. Cease is just one of several big-name starting pitcher trade candidates, so it remains to be seen if the O's get involved in further talks.

Chicago White Sox new general manager Chris Getz is telling teams he will likely wait to move right-hander Dylan Cease until after the top free-agent starting pitchers sign this offseason, according to major-league sources briefed on the discussions. The urgency of certain teams will only increase if they miss out on top free-agent pitching names like Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Blake Snell and others. The Los Angeles Dodgers need multiple starters, and the St. Louis Cardinals remain interested in Cease, even after already signing Sonny Gray, Kyle Gibson and Lance Lynn. The Cincinnati Reds and Baltimore Orioles could be sleepers to trade for Cease, who is 28 years old and still under club control for two more years.

The St. Louis Cardinals are showing interest in trading for White Sox right-hander Dylan Cease. Rumors surrounding a Cease trade have intensified over the last 24 hours and it is believed a trade could get done sooner than later. The Cardinals' interest is intriguing as they have already made significant rotation splashes this winter with the additions of free agent right-handers Sonny Gray, Lance Lynn, and Kyle Gibson as they completely re-make their starting rotation. Cease was the AL Cy Young runner-up in 2022 when he tossed a 2.20 ERA across 32 starts but he took a step back in 2023, working to a 4.58 ERA across 33 outings. Nonetheless, the 27-year-old takes the ball every fifth day, boasts big-time strikeout numbers, and is under club control through the 2025 campaign.

Trade talks for Chicago White Sox right-hander Dylan Cease have intensified in the last 48 hours, and some people close to the negotiations believe a deal before next week's winter meetings is increasingly possible, according to sources. Cease's hometown Atlanta Braves are among the finalists, and we also know that the Los Angeles Dodgers are very serious about him as they look for starting-pitching upgrades this winter. The 27-year-old was the runner-up in American League Cy Young voting in 2022 but took a step back this past season by going 7-9 with a 4.58 ERA and 1.42 WHIP with 214 strikeouts and a career-high 79 walks in 33 starts (177 innings). Cease can be wild, but his strikeout upside is enticing and he's under club control through the 2025 season.