Dylan Cease farewell tour.
He was the subject of trade rumors all offseason. The White Sox were reported to have an asking price equal to asking for the sun and the moon.
That is why he will be this year's Opening Day starter. The starting rotation is pretty bleak behind him. He does give the Sox a chance to win every five days. Well, as long as he returns to the Cy Cease form we saw in 2022.
If he dominates like he did that year, that will help general manager Chris Getz' demand for a major return in a trade. Make no mistake about it, the Sox need to trade Cease.
He is only under club control for one more year after this season. The Sox have made no public intention of offering him an extension. His value will still be high at this year's trade deadline since teams will get his services for a one-and-a-half (with the chance to trade him before next year's deadline to recover some of the costs).
This team is going nowhere with him in the starting rotation. It could go somewhere if he gets traded for the right return.