Dylan Cease trade talks unlikely to gain steam until after these 2 free agents sign

There's one player the the majority of Reds Country would love to see in Cincinnati next season. Dylan Cease, who's been the topic of trade talks all winter, would be a tremendous upgrade for the Cincinnati Reds.

Cease, who's been rumored to be available this offseason, is still part of the Chicago White Sox roster at the moment. However, MLB.com's Mark Feinsand is reporting that sources expect the White Sox to move their ace this offseason.

That's the good news. However, Feinsand had a bit of bad news as well. While the MLB Insider hinted that the Reds and Baltimore Orioles have the prospect capital to get a deal done, the fans will have to wait until the free agent market settles out.

Reds fans will have to wait until these free agents sign

Mark Feinsand reports that the Chicago White Sox are unlikely to trade Dylan Cease until Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and possibly even Blake Snell, are off the free agent market.

Yamamoto has been the biggest free agent target among the big-market franchises this offseason. The Boston Red Sox, Philadelphia Phillies, New York Yankees, New York Mets, Los Angeles Dodgers, and San Francisco Giants have all been said to have interest in signing the Japanese star.

Some reports have Yamamoto's contract looking to be in excess of $300 million. Whether that figure includes the posting fee or not is unknown, but regardless, that's a massive contract for a pitcher who has yet to step onto a major league mound.

When it comes to Blake Snell, the market has been rather quiet. That's almost unheard of for a two-time Cy Young Award-winning pitcher like Snell. Though the left-hander does have his fair share of concerns.

Snell has sandwiched his two Cy Young seasons around a four-year span where he averaged just under five innings pitched per start. Some teams may be leery of offering over $200 million to a pitcher who might not be the team's ace.

But Reds fans will just have to wait and see how the Dylan Cease trade talks evolve after both Yamamoto and Snell have signed their respective free agent deals.

Cease represents a major upgrade for the Cincinanti Reds pitching staff. The right-hander is durable and was a Cy Young finalist in 2022.

Dylan Cease, unlike the Reds' other top trade target Shane Bieber, has two years remaining until he enter free agency. Bieber will be a free agent after the 2024 season.