3 Reds prospects for the White Sox to consider in a Dylan Cease trade
The Cincinnati Reds and Chicago White Sox are perfect for a Dylan Cease trade.
The Reds are looking to improve their team after a surprisingly good season. They didn't make the playoffs, but they were in the race all season long when most people came in thinking they'd be amongst the worst. Given their newfound aggression and motivation to win, this could prove to be a big opportunity that the Chicago White Sox should take advantage of.
One way that Cincinnati appears to attacking this offseason is going to be adding some pitching. One player that they should consider is Dylan Cease who seems to be right in the middle of all the starting pitching madness right now. His 2023 season wasn't great by his standards as he only had a 7-9 record with a 4.58 ERA, a 1.418 WHIP, and 214 strikeouts in 177.0 innings pitched.
Cease is almost sure to have a bounce-back year in 2024 as we know he can be a Cy Young caliber guy. He was that (Cy Young runner up) in 2022 with his 14-8 record, 2.20 ERA, and 1.109 WHIP with 227 strikeouts in 184.0 ERA. His 6.4 WAR showed just how good he was that year.
The White Sox and Reds make perfect sense for a Dylan Cease trade
If the Reds traded for him, they'd like to see more of that. The White Sox should not settle when it comes to the return from the Reds (or any team) either. They know how good he is and they should get the proper value back for him in return.
The Reds have a ton of good prospects for the Sox to consider. These are the three that they should be looking at the most. One of these guys must be coming back in a deal:
Noelvi Marte is an infielder who would be great in the White Sox organization
The Chicago White Sox could use some good infield prospects. They'd love to ensure they are stacked in that area as they retool their organization.
Noelvi Marte is someone to consider if they are going to trade Dylan Cease to the Reds. He is currently their number one prospect and the number 23 prospect in the entire league.
Marte would look great right there with Colson Montgomery at the top of the organizational prospect chart. Montgomery would probably end up being the shortstop of the future, but Marte can play both short and third base and there is no such thing as having too much talent to work with.
The Sox don't plan on having Yoan Moncada beyond the two years that he has left on his expensive deal so that could be where Marte comes in. He could be the third baseman of the future if acquired and developed properly.
Marte spent time with the Reds in MLB last season and he was good. In 35 games, he slashed .316/.366/.456 for an OPS of .822. He hit three home runs and had 15 RBIs and 15 runs scored.
If the White Sox were a serious organization, they wouldn't give Cease to the Reds without getting Marte in return. A couple of their other good prospects should be on the table as well.
Rhett Lowder is a Reds' prospect for the White Sox to think about
The Chicago White Sox always want to add pitching to the organization. Rhett Lowder of the Cincinnati Reds is someone to consider.
In 2023, the Reds drafted Lowder in the first round (seventh overall) of the MLB Draft out of Wake Forest. Lowder is a 21-year-old right-handed pitcher who is currently in A+. He is the number two prospect in the Red's farm system and the number 41 overall prospect in the league.
As of right now, Lowder works with a good fastball (55 grade), a good slider (55 grade), and a great changeup (60 grade). His overall control (60 grade) is also very good as well.
Cincinnati loved how he used his hard-throwing fastball combined with his incredible slider. He was one of the best pitchers in college baseball and his draft status is proof of that.
Chicago could use as much pitching in the pipeline as they can get. If they added a raw stud like Lowder right now, he'd be the best pitcher that they have in the system going forward. When you are giving up a starter like Cease, it is good to get someone back like this.
Connor Phillips is a player that the White Sox can target in a trade
The number three prospect in the Cincinnati Reds organization is Edwin Arroyo. He is also the number 57 prospect in the league as a whole.
However, he is a shortstop so the White Sox might think about other prospects knowing that they have Colson Montgomery waiting in the wings.
Someone like their fourth overall prospect, Connor Phillips, makes a lot more sense. He is their number four prospect and ranked number 68 in the league. Like Lowder, he is a right-handed pitcher with some upside. As mentioned before, there is no limit to how much pitching a team can have.
Phillips has had some struggles so far, but that is expected for a first-time starting pitcher in Major League Baseball. He had a 6.97 ERA and a 1.500 WHIP so there is still a lot of work to do. The encouraging thing is that he had 26 strikeouts in 20.2 innings pitched.
He has a very good fastball and he works on some other pitches that he is still working on. His curveball and changeup are good but he is still working on his slider. His control can also use some work but he can certainly miss bats when his stuff is on.
Thinking about trading Cease for unknown commodities is a sign of a bad team, but that is what we have on our hands with the White Sox. Hopefully, whatever decision is made will help them in the future.
Next. The 15 worst contracts in Chicago White Sox history. dark