MLB Rumors: Orioles Emerge as Dylan Cease Frontrunners, Targeting Trades Amidst Buzzing Pitching Market

As the MLB Hot Stove rumors keep making their way into the better parts of a brand new 2024, news of recent trade talks has shortly followed suit. A great instance of that would be an insider’s perspective on the new season’s future for the Chicago White Sox’s ace Dylan Cease, who has been going viral around a social media platform since this afternoon.

Cease, with 214 strikeouts from this season in his bag to boast about, is one of the prime targets for the teams that are still looking for a pitcher. If the insider’s words are of any indication, the Baltimore Orioles clubhouse has put its name up for serious contention in the Dylan Cease trade possibilities. So far, what have they revealed about their possible pursuit?

Dylan Cease attracts the Orioles because of his affordable potential

Famous MLB insider Jon Morosi discusses the potential trade and free agent prospects for various clubs, of which the Orioles are a part, in a Twitter (now X) video that MLB Network just posted this afternoon. While reflecting on the team’s current rotation, Morosi says, “They are still very active I’m told, in trade conversations – Dylan Cease’s name is still out there. He has not moved anywhere yet.”

Tagged as the “team with most offseason work to do” by the MLB Network’s Hot Stove segment, the Orioles currently have right-hand pitchers Kyle Bradish, Grayson Rodriguez, Dean Kremer, and Tyler Wells on their rotation. For their lefty options, the team has John Means, Cole Irvin, and DL Hall to depend on. As Morosi reflects in a later statement, the team direly needs to lock down a “credible Major League starter” before opening day arrives. Cease looks like an obvious choice for several reasons.

Cease is one of the few elite aces remaining on the offseason table, ready to be picked up. As a bonus, according to MLBTR, the pitcher will receive an arbitration salary of $8.8 million for this season.

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Secondly, with a career strikeout record of 792 with 2 complete game shutouts and a second-place nomination for the 2022 AL Cy Young ballots, the team couldn’t have a better option than Dylan Cease, whom they could afford with their projected payroll of $85 million for this season (per FanGraphs).

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The team needs a starting pitcher. They have the perfect fit to go after. Only time will tell if they decide to pursue the pitcher using their top-rated farm system, which MLB.com has ranked third for the 2023 season.