Dylan Cease

The 2023 campaign has been a disappointing one for the Chicago White Sox and their fans, but they can at least take solace knowing one of the team's best players was not traded ahead of Tuesday's 6 p.m. ET deadline.

ESPN's Jeff Passan reported the White Sox elected to not trade pitcher Dylan Cease despite plenty of rumors surrounding his potential availability.

Joel Sherman of the New York Post reported the American League Central team was "taking more serious offers for" the right-hander prior to this decision.

That the White Sox were in a position to even consider trading Cease underscores how poorly they have played this year.

They are 43-64 and in fourth place in a lackluster American League Central that doesn't feature a single team with a record better than one game over .500. Yet Chicago has consistently failed to take advantage of the opportunity to make up ground in the division while other teams struggle.

Bruce Levine of 670 The Score reported the front office was open to trading anyone on the roster outside of Luis Robert, suggesting a Cease trade was a possibility ahead of the deadline.

Yet he is not scheduled to hit free agency until after the 2025 season, so the asking price was expectedly high with multiple years of team control. According to Jon Heyman of MLB Network, "word is the package it would take to land Dylan Cease is understandably enormous."

The 27-year-old was among the best pitchers in the entire league last season with a 2.20 ERA, 1.11 WHIP and 227 strikeouts in 184 innings. He finished in second place in the American League Cy Young race behind only Justin Verlander and figured to be the anchor of Chicago's staff again in 2023.

That has not always been the case.

Cease has a 4.15 ERA, 1.34 WHIP and 143 strikeouts in 119.1 innings this season. His disappointing downturn is one of a number of reasons the White Sox have struggled, but it is fair to expect him to rediscover his previous form given his age and recent track record.

If he does, it will come with the only MLB team he has ever known since he was not traded Tuesday.

The Chicago White Sox are setting their asking price high but are reportedly willing to listen to offers for ace Dylan Cease and slugger Luis Robert Jr. ahead of Tuesday's trade deadline.

Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reported the White Sox are "staying open-minded" about potential trades for "everyone" on the roster this week, though Cease and Robert are likely to remain in Chicago.

Cease, the AL Cy Young runner-up last season, has come back to earth a bit in 2023. He's posted a 4-4 record with a 4.15 ERA and 1.34 WHIP while striking out 143 batters in 119.1 innings. Control has been Cease's biggest issue, with the righty handing out 49 free passes in 22 starts.

Despite the occasional issue with command, the White Sox value Cease as an integral part of their foundation. He's just 27 years old, has elite power stuff and is under team control through the 2025 season.

For that reason, there is no shortage of rival teams interested in trading for Cease. The White Sox could wind up getting the type of offer that could turn around their farm system and kickstart a true rebuild, which keeps the possibility of a deal open.

After spending the last two seasons dealing with major injuries, Robert has finally emerged as one of the American League's best power bats. He's hitting .269/.323/.559 with 29 home runs and 60 runs batted in, earning his first All-Star Game selection in the process.

While Robert is a prolific strikeout artist who also does not walk, he's just days away from his 26th birthday and is yet to hit his true prime. There is zero reason for the White Sox to even begin entertaining the idea of trading him, with Robert under a team-friendly contract potentially through the 2027 season.

The Houston Astros reportedly view acquiring Dylan Cease as their "dream" scenario heading into the 2023 MLB trade deadline.

Jon Heyman of MLB Network reported the Astros would "love" to add Cease but noted the White Sox have set a massive asking price for their ace.

"A lot of teams would love to get Dylan Cease. He's one of the four guys they've made—I wouldn't say untouchable, but close to untouchable," Heyman said. "So, they'd have to pay a big price to add Dylan Cease."

Cease, the AL Cy Young runner-up last season, has had an up-and-down follow-up campaign in 2023. He's 4-3 with a 4.18 ERA and 1.34 WHIP while striking out 129 batters in 107.2 innings pitched. Command has been Cease's biggest flaw, with the right-hander posting eight starts with at least three walks.

The Astros are currently 3.5 games out of first place in the AL West despite a pitching staff that's been ravaged by injuries. Lance McCullers and Luis Garcia are out for the season, and Jose Urquidy has been limited to six starts due to a shoulder injury.

Framber Valdez has thrown the staff on his back, posting a 7-6 record with a 2.76 ERA and 1.07 WHIP while striking out 9.9 batters per nine innings. Christian Javier and Hunter Brown have been inconsistent sharing the top of the rotation with Valdez, while J.P France and Brandon Bielak are uninspiring potential playoff starters.

Heyman mentioned Marcus Stroman, Jordan Montgomery, Lucas Giolito and Eduardo Rodriguez as potential targets for the Astros if their pursuit of Cease falls through.