NASHVILLE — After a wild ending to the MLB Winter Meetings here in Music City USA, including the much-anticipated Juan Soto trade from the San Diego Padres to the New York Yankees, let's take a look at some of the latest MLB rumors, news and notes surrounding the Chicago White Sox, Toronto Blue Jays and Los Angeles Angels.
Chicago White Sox rumors: Dylan Cease trade talks pulled back?
Now that the dam has broken on the Soto trade and Eduardo Rodriguez inked a four-year, $80 million deal with the Arizona Diamondbacks, could some of the bigger signings (Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto) be not far away? Those deals and more are certainly possibilities, and that's what the Chicago White Sox are reportedly banking on by easing up on trade talks for starting pitcher Dylan Cease.
According to a social media post from MLB insider Jon Heyman, the White Sox are still expected to trade off Cease, one of the more coveted pitching trade chips this offseason, but could be waiting to make any kind of swap until after Yamamoto signs to judge the true market value for the 27-year-old right-hander.
With Yamamoto reportedly meeting with the Yankees in the Bronx early next week, could that be the start of a domino effect that could eventually see Cease dealt?
Toronto Blue Jays rumors: Los Angeles Angels showed interest in Alek Manoah
Manoah has certainly been a name that has bounced around in MLB rumors this offseason, with many believing the 25-year-old right-hander could be a prime "change of scenery candidate" after a rough 2023 for both him on the mound and his relationship with the Blue Jays.
In an article for The Athletic (subscription required), some of that interest has come from the Angels, who are "aggressively scanning the trade market for starting pitching." With Ohtani likely leaving Anaheim, the Angels certainly have rotation holes to fill for next season and beyond, so the chase for pitching isn't a surprise.
Could Manoah be on the move this offseason? If so, it may take a restart of talks with the Angels as initial thoughts on a swap reportedly did not go far.