GLENDALE, Ariz. — White Sox ace Dylan Cease is still here.
Has a locker at Camelback Ranch, where pitchers and catchers had their first day of spring training Wednesday.
Has Sox gear in said locker, which he wore on the field on a sunny, upper-60s Arizona day.
Many predicted Cease would be wearing something else by now, traded to a contender by the Sox, who don’t figure to win or negotiate an extension — Cease said there have been no talks with the Sox, who have him under an affordable contract for two more seasons, including $8 million this year — and could brighten their future by adding multiple young players or prospects for the 2022 Cy Young runner-up.
Cease thought he might be gone, too.
“I don’t know if ‘surprised’ is the right word,” Cease said of trade rumors that were floated online and in print throughout the offseason. “For a while, it did look like it was going to happen. I kind of assumed it. But when it didn’t, I was like, ‘All right, let’s go.’ ”
Cease, 28, is a roll-with-the-flow type who rarely shows emotion or seems rattled. Friends and family texted him through the offseason when another team was reported as a possible trade partner for Sox general manager Chris Getz. Dylan usually acknowledged such texts with something along the lines of, “Yeah, I saw that, too.”
“Part of it’s exciting,” Cease said. “I guess anything that’s new and novel like that can be exciting. But I have a lot of good relationships with coaches and teammates and all that here. I pretty much was just trying to prepare like it was a normal offseason, and wherever I went, I was going to be ready.”
On one hand, Cease could stay with the Sox for a while, with the familiarity of a city he likes — he cited Chicago’s museums, restaurants and summer weather and vibe during his post-workout session with media. And he’s familiar and comfortable with pitching coach Ethan Katz.
On the other hand, he likely would be traded to a contending team, of which the Sox are not.
Who wouldn’t want to pitch for a winner? Cease allowed having those feelings while saying what the leader of a pitching staff would be expected to say.
“But we’re not here with the mindset that we’re going to lose,” he said. “We’re excited here. We’re good to be back. Either way is going to be a positive and a win-win.
“I’m happy to be here, [and] there’s no reason to start the season with any self-doubt.
“Baseball is one of those games where anything can happen. We’re all prepared to do the best that we can and see what happens.”
Cease’s ERA doubled from 2.20 in 2022 to 4.58 last season, but he has made 32, 32 and 33 starts in the last three seasons — no pitcher has made more starts in the last four seasons — with a 28.5% strikeout rate. That’s why he was one of the most talked about trade targets this winter.
And, interested teams should know, he feels “great” right now.
“This is the first offseason in a while where I wasn’t getting some triceps soreness and little aches,” he said. “I got to do a full ramp up. I hit all my numbers I wanted to hit. I feel like I’m in a really good spot.”
General manager Chris Getz and manager Pedro Grifol have talked to Cease, but there isn’t much to be said. His current status is in limbo.
“What am I going to tell him?” Grifol said. “Hey, sit back and see what happens? He already knows that. The reason he’s in that position is because he’s really good and teams want him. And that doesn’t faze him.
“If something comes up that benefits both sides, and our front office is excited about it, we’ll do it. If not, he’s our Opening Day starter. Right now, he’s here. He’s a White Sox. And he puts a smile on my face every time I see him out there.”
