3 hypothetical Reds trade packages for White Sox pitcher Dylan Cease

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The Cincinnati Reds have been rumored to be interested in trading for Tampa Bay Rays starting pitcher Tyler Glasnow and former Cy Young Award-winner Shane Bieber. But the Cincinnati faithful seem to favor a trade for Chicago White Sox star pitcher Dylan Cease.

There are rumors emerging that the Reds and White Sox have talked. And although nothing appears imminent, there's reason to believe that a deal could get hammered out as the offseason continues to unfold.

But make no mistake, a trade for Cease will not come cheap. The White Sox will get a haul similar to what the Reds received in 2022 when they dealt Luis Castillo. So buckle up, Reds fans. Not everyone will like these hypothetical trade packages, but that's the cost of doing business.

1. Reds trade former 1st-round pick and more for Dylan Cease

If you're a prospect-hugger, you may want to look away, because most of these proposals are going to lean hard into the Cincinnati Reds farm system. The Chicago White Sox are not going to compete this season, so the South Siders will be looking for young, controllable talent.

So, for everyone who assumes you can just offer up Jonathan India and a couple low-level prospects in order to secure Dylan Cease, keep dreaming. Understand that trading for a frontline starter with two years of team-control is going to sting.

Cease trade #1

Cam Collier, the Cincinnati Reds' first-round pick in 2022, could very well be involved in a deal for Cease. While Collier had a down-year during his first professional season, the talent is there. Collier has the potential to be a star.

But Collier alone won't be enough to land Cease. Like I said, this is going to sting. Go ahead and add Connor Phillips to the list as well. A lot of Reds fans won't like this, as Phillips is seen as a budding star in the rotation. But if the Reds got Cease for two seasons, perhaps losing Phillips doesn't hurt as much.

But wait, there's more. In order to seal the deal, the Cincinnati Reds would likely have to part with one of their young infielders like Sammy Stafura, Victor Acosta, or Leonardo Balcazar. Hypothetically, this could be enough to get Dylan Cease to Cincinnati.

2. Reds trade top prospects and key asset for Dylan Cease

Again, swinging this type of trade is not going to feel good. Which brings us to another prospect-laden trade proposal that would see two of the Cincinnati Reds top prospects shipped to the Windy City.

Don't forget, when the Reds traded Luis Castillo to the Mariners, Nick Krall secured two of Seattle's top prospects in exchange for one year and two months of Cincinnati's top starter. The Chicago White Sox will be looking for a similar type of compensation.

Cease trade #2

Edwin Arroyo could easily be part of a deal for Cease. Acquired in the aforementioned trade with the Mariners, Arroyo would seem to be blocked at the big league level and perhaps has more value as a trade chip rather than a future starter in the Reds lineup.

But, as was the case with in the previous hypothetical trade package, one top prospect is not going to get the job done. The White Sox will want to offset the loss of the team's top pitcher and may want to secure Chase Petty in a deal for Cease.

Petty would be a big loss for the Reds farm system, but is still probably at least one year away from making it to the big leagues. That would fit Chicago's timeline rather nicely.

Finally, the Reds may have to add another young prospect plus their recently acquired Competitive Balance draft pick. Major league clubs can't trade their own draft picks, but the comp picks can be dealt. Cincinnati did so in their deal with the New York Yankees for Sonny Gray back in 2019.

This is yet another prospect-heavy trade that would would deal a big blow to Cincinnati's farm system. But, after moving up in the 2024 MLB Draft, perhaps Nick Krall could stomach parting with some of his young talent.

3. Reds trade MLB-ready players for Dylan Cease

Okay, let's get away from the from the prospects for a moment and look at a hypothetical trade package that will sting just as much, but not affect the Cincinnati Reds farm system.

This proposal seems a bit more unlikely, as a trade for Dylan Cease is about winning in 2024 and 2025, so trading away your major league-ready players would seem illogical. So while a trade for Cease is unlikely to see the Reds sacrifice players from the 40-man roster, the potential is there.

Cease trade #3

Christian Encarnacion-Strand made his major league debut in 2023 and looks to be in line to replace Joey Votto at first base heading into next season. However, Nick Krall talked about the potential for Jonathan India to get reps at first base, and Spencer Steer saw plenty of time there last season.

Trading Encarnacion-Strand is not going to be high on anyone's list, as the slugger has the potential to mash 30-plus homers per season. But Cease is going to command a big return, and if we're talking about major league-ready players, Encarnacion-Strand would be in that conversation.

But a one-for-one swap won't be enough to bring Cease to the Queen City. The Reds would also have to sacrifice one of their starters. Hunter Greene is already signed to a six-year contract, Nick Lodolo and Graham Ashcraft are both coming off injuries, and Andrew Abbott looks like a star.

But Brandon Williamson could be the odd-man out in the Reds rotation as currently constructed. Having just completed his rookie season, the left-hander has several years of team-control remaining. Pairing Williamson with Encarnacion-Strand and throwing in a prospect could be enough to get a deal done.

Each of these hypothetical trade packages are unlikely to sit well with the Cincinnati Reds fanbase. But if the club really is looking to swing a deal for Dylan Cease, Reds Country had better brace for some key losses. The starting pitching market is hotter than ever, and landing a player like Cease is going to be costly.

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