Cease blossoms into ace of White Sox's rotation
They need him now, and they're really going to need him in the future.
Dylan Cease is not going to be free agent eligible until after the 2025 season, so the White Sox are fortunate to have him under contractual control for at least three more years.
They've also been one of baseball's better teams at locking up young talent to long-term deals in recent years, and Cease is an obvious target.
"He's an ace," general manager Rick Hahn said. "He's what we envisioned and what our scouts envisioned going back to the draft when the Cubs took him before we could and then we made the deal to acquire him back in (20) 17.
"The raw ingredients were always there. It's really his makeup and work ethic and his teachability that has allowed him to take these next steps."
Cease - who makes his third start of the season Monday afternoon against the Twins - has been moving up the ladder since joining the Sox's rotation midway through the 2019 season.
Coming over from the Cubs with Eloy Jimenez two years earlier in the Jose Quintana trade, Cease's impressive ascent has made it a steal of a deal for the White Sox.
"It's a lot of years of effort and some failures and some successes," Cease said.
The 27-year-old righty was way more success than failure last year. In 32 starts, Cease was 14-8 with a 2.20 ERA and 227 strikeouts over 184 innings.
At the end of the season, he finished second in American League Cy Young Award voting behind Houston's Justin Verlander.
"It really all kind of came together and by far, it was my most consistent year ever as a professional," Cease said. "Now it's maintaining that and continuing to shove and do what needs to be done."
So far, so good.
Cease started the White Sox's season opener against the Astros this year and overwhelmed the defending World Series champions with his lethal fastball/slider combination.
Over 6⅓ innings, Cease allowed 1 run on 2 hits to go with 10 strikeouts and no walks.
Battling a cold is his second start, against the Giants last Wednesday, Cease overcame 5 walks in 5 innings and gave up only 1 run on 1 hit while striking out eight.
"He really battled through that game," Sox manager Pedro Grifol said. "That's why he is who he is."
As Hahn said, Cease is a legitimate No. 1 starter.
If the White Sox are going to have any shot at making the playoffs this year, the rest of the rotation has to pick it up.
Looking ahead, Lance Lynn is in the final year of his contract. The Sox hold an $18 million club option on the veteran right-hander for 2024, but there's a $1 million buyout that's looking more likely.
Lucas Giolito is off to a shaky start and is eligible for free agency at the end of the season.
Mike Clevinger is pitching on a one-year, $12 million deal which includes a $12 million mutual option for next season. Like Lynn, look for the White Sox to exercise their buyout, this one at $4 million.
With no bona fide starting pitcher prospects in the minor leagues, the Sox could very well be building around Cease and Michael Kopech next winter.
Extending Cease makes a lot of sense, and don't be surprised if he winds up with the first $100 million-plus contract in franchise history.
"I think I'd always be open to something that's a fair, good deal," Cease said in January. "To my knowledge, there's nothing in the works in that regard. But I love Chicago and I would always be open to having a dialogue, for sure."
Playing on a one-year, $5.7 million contract this season, Cease is represented by high-profile agent Scott Boras.
"I think with any young player that has shown an elite, top-of-the-league level of performance, we just listen," Boras told reporters at the GM meetings in November. "We're always open to what they have to say and how they look at it."