He'd be much more attractive to teams
We have kind of touched base on this already but if Cease were to stick with the White Sox and have a booming start to the 2024 campaign, this would make him much more attractive to teams looking for pitching help. Those teams that are close to making a run at the postseason, but need a little bit of pitching assistance to get them over the hump could be interested in grabbing Cease at some point.
Some teams may be taking a “wait and see” approach when it comes to trading for Cease. They may want to be sure that the 2023 was a fluke and that he’s returned to his 2022 form. A great start to the season would benefit Cease and the White Sox in so many ways. And what team doesn’t want a winner? And even if Cease isn’t winning a lot of games, his appeal might help with teams that need one more piece of the “pitching puzzle” to get them over the top and to the next level.
In the end, it just might be better for the White Sox to take down the for sale sign on Cease right now and put it back up closer to the 2024 trade deadline.