Although the Chicago White Sox do not look drastically different than they did in 2023, change might be starting to slowly take shape within one of baseball's most turbulent franchises today. New general manager Chris Getz already signed a strong culture guy in catcher Martin Maldonado this offseason and is expected to shake up the roster some more in the future. That will almost definitely include trading Dylan Cease.

But that doesn't mean Getz and the Sox shot-callers are in a hurry to lock down a deal before the start of Spring Training. On the contrary, they intend to utilize all their leverage possible and prey upon the desperation of a possible contender.

“Two rival execs now believe the White Sox will wind up keeping Dylan Cease into the regular season,” ESPN insider Buster Olney posted on X. “‘There is no pressure on them to lower their asking price,' one said. They’ll get what they want at the (trade) deadline.”

This insight falls in line with what others around the league believe regarding Chicago's plans for the mustached, right-handed starting pitcher. A rough 2023 campaign that consisted of a 4.58 ERA and 1.418 WHIP has made front offices less willing to pay the organization's high asking price for the 28-year-old. Cease's 2022 dominance- no pitch was more lethal than his slider- and a possible bounce-back 2024 season could loosen up the purse strings a bit, though.

That could be particularly true for a club with World Series expectations in sore need of a rotation upgrade for the postseason push. This practical business plan does nothing to stoke enthusiasm for next year's baseball product, but it at least positions the White Sox to maximize the return value of Dylan Cease and subsequently brighten the murky skies looming above Guaranteed Rate Field.