The Chicago White Sox traded right-hander Dylan Cease to the San Diego Padres on Wednesday night in exchange for four players.
Cease was the runner-up for the American League Cy Young Award in 2022, when he went 14-8 with a 2.20 ERA and 227 strikeouts in 184 innings.
The White Sox will receive right-handed reliever Steven Wilson, minor league right-handers Drew Thorpe and Jairo Iriarte and minor league outfielder Samuel Zavala in the deal. Thorpe was acquired by San Diego in the offseason deal that sent slugger Juan Soto to the New York Yankees.
According to MLB Pipeline, Thorpe was San Diego’s No. 5 prospect, Zavala was No. 7 and Iriarte was No. 8.
Cease will earn $8 million this season, making the salary a fit for the Padres, who watched starting pitchers Blake Snell (2023 National League Cy Young winner), Seth Lugo and Michael Wacha depart as free agents after last season.
Last season, Cease went 7-9 with a 4.58 ERA but still struck out 214 in 177 innings. It marked his third straight season of at least 200 strikeouts.
Overall, Cease is 43-35 with a 3.83 ERA in 123 starts over five seasons with the White Sox.
Wilson, 29, went 1-2 with a 3.91 ERA in 52 appearances last season. He has pitched in 102 games in two big league seasons.
Thorpe, 23, had a 14-2 record and 2.52 ERA in 23 starts last season between Class A and Double-A in the Yankees’ system.
Zavala, 19, batted .243 with 14 homers and 77 RBIs in 115 games at two Class A stops last season.
Iriarte, 22, went 3-4 with a 3.49 ERA in 27 appearances (21 starts) between Class A and Double-A last season.
The White Sox cleared a spot on their 40-man roster by designating outfielder Peyton Burdick for assignment. Burdick, 27, was claimed off waivers from the Orioles last month, shortly after Baltimore purchased his contract from Miami. In 46 total games the past two seasons with the Marlins, Burdick hit .200 with five home runs and 13 RBIs.
