Mariners Interested In Dylan Ceas

The Mariners have begun discu sing a trade for right-hander with the White Sox, according to . Nightengale suggests that the White Sox are seeking a package centered around one of or , Seattles pair of cost-controlled righty starters. Theres no indications that a deal is particularly close or even likely, with Nightengale noting that the White Sox appear likely to retain Cease through the start of the 2024 season if a deal with Seattle doesnt come together. That sentiment other recent reports regarding Ceases trade candidacy that have cast doubt on the likelihood he changes uniforms before Opening Day. The report marks the first time the Mariners have been connected to Cease this winter. The right-hander has been a frequent subject of trade rumors this offseason with the Yankees, Reds, Orioles, and Red Sox among the clubs rumored to have had interest at one point or another. Despite that widespread interest, teams have largely appeared to balk at the high asking price the White Sox have set for Ceases services. A report last month that the club requested a package of four of the Cincinnatis top prospects in negotiations with the Reds earlier this winter, and Nightengale added that talks between the White Sox and Orioles regarding Cease have stopped at this point in the offseason. In negotiations with the Mariners, it appears the White Sox have pivoted from their previous ask of a hefty prospect package to instead focus on big Naoyuki Uwasawa Jersey -league ready talent. Its an understandable move for the club to make. Woo and Miller are entering their age-24 and -25 seasons, respectively, coming off solid rookie campaigns with six seasons of team control remaining. Either righty would not only be able to immediately replace Cease in the clubs rotation mix, but would give the club another long-term a set to build around alongside star center fielder Robert is under team control for the next four seasons. As for Seattle, adding Cease to their starting staff would give the club perhaps the strongest rotation in the majors. Cease is coming off a relative down season on the mound where he posted a 4.58 ERA in 177 innings of work but is just one season removed from a 2022 campaign where he placed second in AL Cy Young award voting. Over the past three seasons, Cease sports a solid 3.54 ERA (121 ERA+) and 3.40 FIP with a 29.8% strikeout rate, numbers that paint him as a solid #2 starter. The 28-year-old would likely slot into the middle of the clubs rotation alongside behind ace and young star , with whichever of Woo or Miller remained with the Mariners rounding out the clubs starting rotation. Replacing Miller or Woo with Cease in the rotation would provide the club with additional certainty in a rotation that figures to lean heavily on young players. The most experienced pitcher aside from Castillo who currently projects for the clubs starting rotation is Gilbert, who is entering just the fourth season of his career in 2024. Kirby has just two MLB seasons under his belt, while both Miller and Woo are entering their sophomore campaigns with just 25 and 18 big league starts respectively under their belts. Cease, by contrast, has been among the most durable starters in the league in recent years with 97 starts over the past three seasons. For a team that has long valued starting pitching depth but parted with both while swapping for earlier this offseason, bringing a durable veteran arm in place of a young player who has yet to make 30 starts in a big league season could provide the club with an opportunity to make up for the innings lost by parting with Gonzales and Ray. On the other hand, it would nonethele s be something of a surprise to see Seattle part with one of their young, cost-controlled arms in a deal that wouldnt addre s an area of greater need such as the clubs infield, where and project to be the everyday starters at second and third base. In addition to shopping for another infielder to add to the clubs mix, the Mariners have expre sed interest in fortifying their relief corps, which currently features and as its back-end options after the club dealt closer to the Diamondbacks last summer. from president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto also seemed to cast doubt on the po sibility of a deal involving Miller or Woo, as he suggested that retaining the duo was Plan A for their offseason. Greg Weissert Jersey