Yoshinobu Yamamoto deal makes Reds trade for Dylan Cease exponentially more difficult

The price tag for Dylan Cease's services was always going to be high. But after the Los Angeles Dodgers signed Yoshinobu Yamamoto to a reported 12-year/$325-million deal, that price tag is going to go up dramatically.

Why? Because the Chicago White Sox now have the most valuable asset available this offseason. Cease, if he truly is on the trade block, is arguably the best pitcher remaining this winter.

The Cincinnati Reds and Baltimore Orioles, due to their excessive depth in the minor leagues, have been the two most-talked about trade destinations for Cease this offseason. But after missing out on Yamamoto, teams like the New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox, and New York Mets may enter the fray.

Yoshinobu Yamamoto deal makes Reds trade for Dylan Cease exponentially more difficult

The Los Angeles Dodgers are all-in on the 2024 season. Signing Yoshinobu Yamamoto to go alongside Shohei Ohtani, Tyler Glasnow, Mookie Betts, and Freddie Freeman have thrust the Dodgers into the driver's seat in the National League.

LA will be the overwhelming favorites to secure the NL pennant in 2024, and are likely to be the favorites to win the World Series. But that doesn't mean that other big-market clubs are just going to take their ball and go home.

The New York Yankees have already traded for Juan Soto and have an emormous payroll of their own. After missing out on the postseason last year, the Yankees will be looking to return to prominence in the American League. The Bronx Bombers would easily look to trade for Dylan Cease after missing out on Yamamoto.

The New York Mets, who also missed the playoffs a year ago, are no strangers to spending. While the Mets farm system is not as deep as the Reds, that doesn't mean that Steve Cohen hasn't given David Stearns the green light to improve his team through a trade. Cease could be on the Mets' radar.

So while the Cincinnati Reds may have the best to offer in terms of prospect capital, is Nick Krall as motivated as Stearns and Brian Cashman? That seems unlikely. So while the Reds may be willing to part with what they feel is adequate value, the Mets and Yankees will be desperate and could overpay.

The Reds window is just beginning to open. With Soto, Gerrit Cole, and Aaron Judge, the Yankees time to win is now. The same is true for Pete Alonso, Francisco Lindor, and the Mets.

Other teams like the San Francisco Giants, Toronto Blue Jays, and Philadelphia Phillies may enter the Dylan Cease sweepstakes as well. The Cincinnati Reds could still be in line to trade for Cease this offseason, but the cost has just gone up.