Breaking: Yankees Are Signing $324 Million Star Pitcher In Proposed Blockbuster Trade

Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports that the New York Yankees and the Chicago White Sox have reopened trade talks with regard to standout pitcher Dylan Cease.

As Yankees star Gerrit Cole experiences “discomfort” in his throwing elbow and an MRI is planned to assess the severity of a possible injury, the discussions resumed. The Yankees are already considering their options for a starting pitcher on Opening Day, and it appears that they will probably need to add some roster insurance for their $324 million ace pitcher.

Zachary Rotman of FanSided predicted that Cease could be acquired by New York with a trade package that included two young infielders and three elite prospects. In return for Cease, he suggested that the Yankees trade Oswaldo Cabrera, Will Warren, Chase Hampton, Everson Pereira, and Oswald Peraza to the White Sox.

The New York Yankees Will Have Trouble Trading for Dylan Cease Without Losing Spencer Jones

Rotman calculated that in order to acquire Cease, the Yankees would have to part with two young MLB players and three of their top ten prospects, according to MLB Pipeline. “This kind of offer really gets the White Sox to listen, even though it’s a lot.”

Nightengale said that there had been renewed talks about a deal including Cease, but he also said that the Yankees were still unwilling to give up “prized outfield prospect Spencer Jones.” If that holds true, it may indicate that closing a deal requires a large array of alternative assets.

In this trade, Rotman said, “the White Sox would be receiving both of New York’s top pitching prospects.” “Chicago would also be receiving two MLB infielders, Peraza and Cabrera, who do not have starting spots on the Yankees, and an MLB-ready outfield prospect in Pereira.”

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With Gerrit Cole Facing Potential Injury, the New York Yankees May Be Desperate to Trade for a Pitcher

While it’s unclear if Cole is truly hurt, the early indications don’t seem good for Yankees supporters.

Cole struggled to recover after throwing just 39 pitches in two innings during his Spring Training start and perhaps 50 pitches in a simulated game, as reported by Mike Axisa of CBS Sports.

If Cole is not available, “the Yankees have started to consider other options about who could start Opening Day,” according to Axisa. “The Yankees, who are attempting to make a run at the postseason after finishing 82-80 in 2023—the team’s worst record in three decades—know that losing Cole for any extended period of time would be devastating.”

Although there are elite free-agent possibilities available, such as 2023 NL Cy Young Award winner Blake Snell, analysts have pointed out that the Yankees’ huge budget may make it prohibitively expensive for them to sign such a talent.

The Athletic claims that “the Yankees would actually have to pay $63 million in total—and they would also have to forfeit two draft choices and $1 million in international bonus pool money—if they were to sign Snell to a one-year deal worth $30 million.”

Therefore, a trade for Cease might be the best course of action for the Yankees to protect their roster against Cole’s probable absence. And it might take a five-player package if they won’t part with Jones or another elite prospect, Jasson Dominguez.

“This kind of package might be what the Yankees are looking at in a Cease trade if they won’t trade Jones or Dominguez,” Rotman said in closing.