The San Diego Padres are nearing an agreement to acquire right-handed starter Dylan Cease from the Chicago White Sox, according to ESPN's Jeff Passan.In 2022, the 28-year-old Cease pitched to a 2.20 ERA with 227 strikeouts in 184 innings and led American League pitchers with 6.4 WAR. He finished second in the Cy Young voting to Justin Verlander, who won the award unanimously. Cease took a step back in 2023, throwing 177 innings with 214 strikeouts and an unsightly 4.58 ERA.
Anderson recently explained why Cease is such a prize and it boils down to his premium bat-missing stuff, his room for growth, and his two affordable seasons of team control as an arbitration-eligible player.The White Sox went 61-101 this past season and longtime executives Kenny Williams and Rick Hahn were fired in August. Chris Getz, formerly the team's assistant general manager, was elevated to run baseball operations.