3 Orioles prospects for the White Sox to target in a Dylan Cease trade
The Chicago White Sox are likely going to trade Dylan Cease. There are a lot of rumors out there when it comes to what teams are in on him. While those rumors have slowed down as the White Sox try to remain patient to get the best price for him, moving Cease this offseason still remains incredibly likely.
One squad that keeps coming up is the Baltimore Orioles. They were an incredible team last year as they had a 101-61 record. That was the top mark in the American League and only the Atlanta Braves (104-58) were better.
When the postseason came around for Baltimore, however, their pitching fizzled out which was something that worried people heading into the playoffs. They were swept in the ALDS by the eventual World Series champion Texas Rangers and yielded 21 runs in the three games.
It was clear that they should have traded for Cease ahead of the trade deadline but they never did. You never know how that series would have been different had they had Cease.
The Orioles and White Sox can make a Dylan Cease trade look good
Now is their chance to make it right by trading for Cease during this off-season. The White Sox have some leverage since he is a good cost-controlled pitcher.
In 2022, Cease was the Cy Young runner-up to Justin Verlander in the American League. He went 14-8 with a 2.20 ERA during this magnificent season of his.
In 2023, however, Cease fell off a little bit. He wasn't bad but his 7-9 record and 4.58 ERA weren't in the same stratosphere as the year prior. A team would be trading for him knowing that their situation is better than the White Sox and Cease would be more likely to return to form.
The White Sox should be looking to get a big return in this deal knowing the potential that Cease has. These are three Orioles prospects that they must consider bringing back if they trade Cease away:
Jackson Holliday would give the White Sox organization a big boost
There is no reason that the White Sox shouldn't try to get the best possible return for a starting pitcher who has been as successful as Dylan Cease.
If they landed Jackson Holliday from the Baltimore Orioles, that would be about as good as it gets for the Sox. He is their number one prospect and the number one prospect in all of baseball.
Of course, Jackson is the son of former MLB All-Star Matt Holliday who was a very good player in his own right. Now, Jackson is looking to begin a Major League career of his own.
Holliday is listed as someone who could play shortstop or second base. If the White Sox landed him, they'd probably love if he could play second so they could pair him with Colson Montgomery one day.
If Holliday wants to be a shortstop long-term, he is going to get his wish. His improved speed and quickness over the years are going to allow that.
As far as his bat goes, he delivers hard contact with regularity. MLB Pipeline has him at a 70-grade when it comes to hitting and a 55-grade when it comes to power.
He is very strong so the power comes naturally as his approach to hitting is very good. He will draw a lot of walks and won't strike out a ton. The White Sox don't have a player like him in the organization and could use one.
Colton Cowser is an outfielder for the Chicago White Sox to consider
The Chicago White Sox need depth in their farm system. Adding someone like Colton Cowser would help them accomplish that goal.
Cowser is an outfielder who is currently ranked as the number two prospect in the Baltimore Orioles organization. He is also considered to be the number 14 prospect in the league. Like Holliday, he would come to the White Sox and automatically be their number-one prospect.
The Orioles selected Cowser with the fifth overall pick of the first round in the 2021 MLB Draft. He is developing into a really good player for them but they might have to send him away if they want to take advantage of this competitive window that has just opened up for them.
In 2023, Cowser played in 87 AAA games and he was phenomenal. He slashed .300/.417/.520 with an OPS of .937. He hit 17 home runs, had 62 RBIs, and 72 runs scored. He also stole nine bases which is good to see as well.
All of this earned him a Major League call-up but he struggled once he reached that point. With the O's he played in 26 games where he slashed .115/.286/.148 with an OPS of .434. He hit safely seven times and had four RBIs to go with 15 runs scored.
He walked 64 times in AAA which is a skill of his that has already translated as he had 13 in his short MLB stint.
2024 will be all about taking that next step as a hitter at the highest level. The White Sox need as many players with Cowser's ceiling as possible so going for him in a Cease trade with Baltimore is necessary.
Heston Kjerstad is an outfielder that the White Sox could use right now
Heston Kjerstad is an outfielder that the Chicago White Sox can consider from Baltimore. He is a highly skilled player who was their second overall pick of the first round in the 2020 MLB Draft. He played college baseball at the University of Arkansas.
In 2023, he played in 122 minor league games split between AA and AAA. In those games, Kjerstad slashed a combined .303/.376/.528 for an OPS of .904. He hit 21 home runs, had 55 RBIs, and scored 87 runs. It was a great year for him.
Just like Colton Cowser, Heston Kjerstad is someone who has already made their Major League debut with the Baltimore Orioles. He did it in 2023 in addition to all of his time spent in the minors for the year.
Kjerstad played in 13 games with the Baltimore Orioles following his great Minor League season. He slashed .233/.281/.467 for an OPS of .748. He hit his first two career home runs while collecting three RBIs and three runs scored.
It isn't star production like he was giving in the minors, but he looked like he belongs in Major League Baseball. There is a lot more development to be done with him but he is looking like a fine player in their system right now.
The White Sox do not need to settle when it comes to a Dylan Cease trade. If a team doesn't give proper value for him, the White Sox can simply hold onto him and make teams even more desperate by the trade deadline. Great care should be taken by Chicago.
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