In a bid to bolster the pitching rotation, the New York Yankees turned to Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Blake Snell, and Jordan Montgomery this off-season. However, the front office’s efforts were washed down the drain as the pitchers’ inflated demand put off the team. Lastly, the franchise settled with Marcus Stroman.
However, it seems the New York Yankees were active in the pitcher market even after landing Marcus Stroman in a two-year $37 million contract with a vesting option for a third year. Apparently, the Bronx Bombers approached Chicago White over their alleged interest in ace Dylan Cease. But a ridiculous ask from the White Sox’s end foiled the blockbuster trade pursuit.
White Sox Asked For Spencer Jones, Chase Hampton In Exchange For Dylan Cease!
After weeks of being linked to Chicago White Sox ace pitcher Dylan Cease, the New York Yankees finally approached the franchise to discuss the possibility of a trade. Cease has a career ERA of 3.83 across five MLB seasons. Not only that, for the past three seasons, the pitcher has managed to pitch over 30 starts a year. While he stumbled in 2023, Cease pitched a career-best 2.20 ERA season in 2022. Thus, the 28-year-old is deemed a perfect fit in the Bronx. However, the Bronx Bombers’ dream pursuit is unlikely to come to fruition anytime soon. As per Bob Nightengale of USA Today Sports, the Yankee front office was pushed away by the White Sox’s ridiculous ask.
“Chicago White Sox’s asking price for ace Dylan Cease remains awfully strong,” Nightengale said. Apparently, the Chicago White Sox asked for top prospects Spencer Jones and Chase Hampton in the exchange deal, which was deemed a steep and unreasonable ask by the New York Yankees’ front office. Moreover, since the franchise already depleted the farm system’s depth early into the off-season, they are not on board with trading any more pieces away. However, the White Sox, recognizing Cease’s value and performance, are seemingly holding firm on their demands. They are committed to securing a significant return if they were to part ways with the right-handed pitcher. However, the steep ask does not sit well with the Bronx Bombers as they are unlikely to pursue the star pitcher any longer.
Yankees’ Off-Season To Soon Come To An End!
Meanwhile, the New York Yankees are not expected to make any more significant signings this off-season. As per several MLB insiders, Marcus Stroman could be the team’s last big addition of the ongoing off-season. The reason is the soaring payroll. A stat agency recently projected a $300 million payroll for the Yanks for this season. That’s $3 million more than the luxury tax threshold of $297 million.
Hal Steinbrenner has already violated the luxury tax regulations in the past and faced severe penalties. If the managing partner of the New York Yankees fails to lower the payroll by the opening day, he could be signing up for another financial punishment this season. While Steinbrenner would want to avoid the repercussions, the early signs do not paint a good future for the esteemed franchise.
