The demanded return for coveted pitcher Dylan Cease in ongoing negotiations between the Chicago White Sox and the New York Yankees has been revealed, giving new clues as to how likely a trade for the rotation-changing right-hander could be.

“The Chicago White Sox’s asking price for ace Dylan Cease remains awfully strong: They are seeking prized Yankees outfield prospect Spencer Jones or right-handed pitcher Chase Hampton in their package,” Bob Nightengale reported for USA Today.

As the White Sox continue to field offers for their ace from a range of interested teams, their asking price from another AL East club, the Baltimore Orioles, was also detailed: Chicago is asking for packages from Baltimore to include Colton Cowser or Heston Kjerstad, among other prospects.

All told, this latest report demonstrates that the White Sox are unwilling to part with Cease without a relatively rich return of prospects in return.

Should the Yankees Trade Top Prospects Spencer Jones, Chase Hampton to White Sox for Dylan Cease?
As the Yankees look to bolster their rotation depth going into the 2024 season, they have added Marcus Stroman while reportedly moving on from a potential deal with Blake Snell.

While reigning AL Cy Young award winner Gerritt Cole is set to return as the rotation’s formidable ace, the depth of an addition like Stroman as well as a third workhorse like Cease would give the Bombers one of the strongest rotations in the big leagues and seriously bolster their chances of playing in October again.

But following Nightengale’s report, it looks like the White Sox’s price is fairly steep.

Jones, a 22-year-old lefty, is the best prospect in the Yankees’ system, per MLB.com, and could prove to be a truly formidable slugger in the near future.

“Jones features impressive strength and leverage in his towering 6-foot-6 frame, and he also generates plenty of bat speed and makes a lot of hard contact from the left side of the plate,” MLB.com detailed. “Extremely athletic for his size… He stole 12 bases without getting caught in his introduction to pro ball.”

Meanwhile, Chase Hampton is the fourth-ranked Yankees prospect according to MLB.com, a 22-year-old righty who flashes a plus fastball and the potential of a deep arsenal.

“The Yankees like Hampton’s starter traits,” MLB.com reported. “He has a strong 6-foot-2 build and a delivery with a long arm action and a relatively low release point.”

In return for a package that would include at least one of their leading prospects, the Yankees would get one of the most proven starters on the market. Though Cease’s numbers took a dip in 2023, he has averaged a compelling 3.83 ERA, 219 strikeouts and 182 innings in five big league seasons. His capacity to fool hitters with one of the league’s strongest sliders gave him the lead league in “swords” last year.

When Will a Yankees, White Sox Deal for Dylan Cease Get Done?
After the White Sox and Cease agreed to an arbitration figure for his 2024 salary, it seems increasingly likely the pitcher will start next season in Chicago. But it wouldn’t be surprising if a deal gets done by the 2024 trade deadline. The White Sox certainly seem open to parting ways with the pitcher if their asking price is met.

“All it takes is one team to want to jump out, perhaps, and get a deal done,” White Sox General Manager Chris Getz told Nightengale. “In the case of Dylan, I don’t think there’s a club out there that hasn’t expressed some level of interest in him.”

Peter Chawaga covers Major League Baseball for Heavy.com. A lifelong baseball fan with more than 10 years of news writing and editorial experience, his work has been published in newspapers, magazines and websites based around the country. His baseball reporting has been featured in Yardbarker, Last Word On Sports and more. More about Peter Chawaga