The hot stove rumor mill that is baseball in New England has yet to “Cease.” Cease as in left-handed pitcher and 2022 Cy Young runner-up Dylan Cease. Cease is reportedly on the radar of the Red Sox front office, but the team has yet to reach out to the Chicago White Sox on that front.
Hot Stove Rumors for Red Sox Yet to “Cease”
In addition to other hot stove rumors yet to cease (New England has a long winter), the acquisition of Dylan Cease has not yet occurred. Is this just another piece of kindling to keep the New England hot stove scene burning? Or is this one of those big, thick logs that will continue to burn and not “cease” until Dylan Cease joins the Red Sox?
Why the Red Sox Should Make a Trade for Cease
The Red Sox rotation was atrocious last season, except maybe for a “when healthy” Chris Sale. The bullpen was even worse. The lone bright spot on the Red Sox staff may have been Kenley Jansen. Adding Cease would bring a likely number two starter behind Sale, and potentially a third quality starter if Brayan Bello has a better season than last year. Pitching wins championships, and if the Red Sox want to win a World Series, they will need to have at least two to three quality starters. Addressing the bullpen is a story for another time. By adding Cease, the Sox could have their top three starter spots locked up with Sale, Cease, and Bello.
@Sean_McAdam says the Red Sox expressed an interest in Blake Snell earlier this month at the GM Meetings in Arizona.
He also reports the Red Sox have yet to engage about Dylan Cease, due to them wanting Brayan Bello.
Still, the Red Sox have “expressed an interest” in trying to… pic.twitter.com/AAczvFgwJd
— Tyler Milliken
(@tylermilliken_) November 27, 2023
Why the Red Sox Should Not Trade for Cease
The keyword “could” in the sentence, “could have three top starters”, is important. Cease finished second to Justin Verlander for the AL Cy Young Award in 2022. He was 14-8 with a 2.20 ERA. Last season, however, Cease was 7-9 with over double his ERA from 2022 (4.58).
For those who are going to make the argument that the guy contended for a Cy Young Award, it does not hold up. Corey Kluber won two Cy Young Awards and look how well he played for the Red Sox last season (Sarcasm is also well-understood in New England). Going off of last season’s numbers alone should be a red flag to not deal for Cease. Add to the fact that other pundits reported Cease being dealt to the Red Sox was discussed last season. The White Sox allegedly wanted Brayan Bello in return. What good is it to trade a potential number two starter away for another potential number two starter?
Takeaway
As this writer has pointed out in a prior article, the hot stove rumors are what keep the Red Sox fans on their toes during the winter months until February when pitchers and catchers report to spring training. The idea of Dylan Cease becoming a member of the Red Sox may be good fodder for those who believe his strong 2022 numbers will return. The other group, those who say, “Did you see what happened to his win/loss record and that his ERA more than doubled” is probably closer to what the sentiment for Dylan Cease is; a piece of kindling to keep those hot stove rumors burning. Burning so that they do not “cease” before winter in New England is over.
Photo Credit: © Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports
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