White Sox GM Chris Getz makes a bold statement – NBC Sports Chicago

As the MLB season winds down, the White Sox have become increasingly vocal about their plans for major trade piece Dylan Cease.

In November, insider reports indicated that there was a 90 percent chance of the initial coin being traded by opening day. Now, with pitchers and catchers reporting for spring training on Wednesday, White Sox general manager Chris Getz has made clear he has no problem sticking with the holdout for the foreseeable future.

“At this point, Dylan Cease, I expect him to be our Opening Day starter,” Getz told reporters in a Zoom session on Monday. “He's had a fantastic offseason. I've been in contact with him regularly, I know his name has come up publicly with potential deals, and unsurprisingly it hasn't affected him. He's very professional.” [and] Just focus on the task at hand. “So I'm looking forward to seeing him in a couple of days, and I definitely feel like he's in a good position to have an excellent year.”

Since January, the word in MLB has been that the White Sox are asking “sun and moon” for the right-handed ace, with ESPN reporting that Cease will likely remain on the southpaw side until the trade deadline.

“There's no pressure on them to lower the asking price,” one executive told ESPN's Buster Olney. “They will get what they want at the (trade) deadline.”

Getz himself has been clear that he won't budge on the price.

“When you have someone like Dylan, stop [caliber] How he prepares, the lifestyle he lives, the balanced mood he works in, and obviously the talent and things, are all rare things.” Getz said Sunday on MLB Network Radio. “…I strongly believe in Dylan Cease. I'm very comfortable going to spring training, for the season with Dylan.”

Despite his less-than-stellar showing in 2023, Cease proved his value in 2022, putting up near-perfect performances all season long. He threw nearly 200 innings, maintaining a 2.20 ERA during his starts. He also struck out 227 batters that season.

“I have to keep the health of the organization in mind, and if I want to [a trade] “It's something we have to do to make us better in the short and long term, I think you have to take that into consideration,” Getz said. “…Teams are still calling. They are still trying to work out a deal that works for both sides.

“If there's a match somewhere, we'll do it.”

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