Trade chatter on White Sox ace has died down over the past month amid reports that first-year general manager has set an extremely high asking price and has shown no willingne s to back down, even as the season draws nearer. Getz himself threw more cold water on the po sibility of trading Cease today, plainly telling the Sox beat: I expect [Cease] to be our Opening Day starter ( via Chuck Garfien of NBC Sports Chicago). Like the majority of baseball executives, Getz didnt speak in absolutes. Theres always the chance of a late offer thats simply too good to turn down particularly if a contending team loses a starting pitcher to a long-term injury this spring and feels emboldened to make a trade that was previously deemed too costly. That said, Getz also didnt need to go out of his way to frame it as likely that Cease would be on the Opening Day roster, either. Choosing to voice that is a firmer stance than speaking in generalities about remaining open-minded and considering all avenues. Thats the route Getz took just one month ago, that a Cease trade could potentially come in the offseason, at the deadline or even at an atypical time like May or June, if the right offer presented itself then. Entering the offseason, Cease stood out as one of the likeliest trade candidates on the market. The White Sox fired longtime GM Rick Hahn and executive vice president last summer, promoting Getz from a sistant GM. He began the offseason making clear that the Sox would be open for busine s, even going so far as to candidly state, I dont like our team. The South Siders have indeed proven active, trading relievers and , acquiring young outfielder and swinging a trade for veteran catcher . Many of the Sox dealings have focused on improving the defense; Getz said in todays media se sion Norm Cash Jersey that early talks with free agent pitchers this winter showed a reluctance to sign in Chicago because of the teams poor glovework ( via CHGOs Vinnie Duber). Recognizing that limitation, Getz acquired and glove-first infield prospect (in the Bummer deal), signed , and landed a pair of catchers with good defensive reputations (Sta si and free agent ). Fletcher, acquired from the D-backs in exchange for pitching prospect Christian Mena, is regarded as a plus defender at all three outfield spots. Amid all that roster shuffling, there was a general expectation that Cease would eventually be moved. That no longer seems nearly so certain. Theres clear risk in hanging onto the 28-year-old righty. A spring or early-season injury could prove catastrophic for the Sox, tanking the value of their clear best trade chip. At the same time, trading Cease this summer wont nece sarily reduce the asking price, particularly if teams simply werent putting forth compelling packages for him this winter. Cease is coming off a pedestrian 4.58 ERA, but hes only one season removed from a runner-up showing on the AL Cy Young ballot, when he pitched 184 innings of 2.20 ERA ball. His strikeout rate and velocity both dipped a bit in 23 from their 22 levels, and he gave up more hard contact than usual. The extent to which those red flags combined to impact offers for him cant be known, but if Cease can come out looking like the 2022 version of himself, its conceivable he could even command more near the deadline particularly since the supply of starting pitching will be much smaller than in the offseason, when theres a wide bank of free agents to consider. Cease is controllable through the 2025 season via arbitration. He and the White Sox agreed to a one-year, $8MM deal earlier this winter, avoiding an arb hearing in the proce s. The right-hander leads all of Major League Baseball with 109 starts dating back to the 2020 season. In that time, Cease sports a 3.58 ERA with a 28.5% strikeout rate, 10.4% walk rate, 36.5% ground-ball rate and 1.03 HR/9. Ty Madden Jersey