3 LA Angels players the White Sox would demand in a Dylan Cease trade

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At the 2023 trade deadline, the Los Angeles Angels struck a deal with the White Sox, landing Lucas Giolito and Reynaldo Lopez in exchange for their top two prospects. The deal failed spectacularly for the Angels, but they could be in on another White Sox starter this offseason.

“As far as Cease goes… I’ve heard the Angels”https://t.co/ISqtB60urI pic.twitter.com/oyOPxPrQno
— Beyond The Halo (@BeyondTheHalo) November 29, 2023

Jon Heyman of the NY Post said on BR Live that the Angels are one of the teams he has heard that are in on White Sox starter Dylan Cease. With new GM Chris Getz saying that the White Sox are open to dealing anybody this offseason, Cease, of course, has garnered tons of interest around the league. Still, the Angels being mentioned is pretty noteworthy.

The Halos being linked to a top-tier starting pitcher is notable because the team which already had a subpar farm system to begin with, gutted it even further at the trade deadline. It's hard to picture the Angels having the assets, but it's possible there are more players the White Sox like.

While Chicago will presumably be asking for players like Zach Neto, Logan O'Hoppe, and Reid Detmers, but the Angels will presumably keep them off the table. While those players will be unavailable, there are three players in particular Chicago will be asking for. Any combination of the three could make some sense.

1) Patrick Sandoval

The Angels are in a bit of a weird spot with Patrick Sandoval. In 2022, he was magnificent, pitching to a sub-3.00 ERA and looking like a legitimate frontline starter. This past season, however, Sandoval took a pretty clear step back, and how the organization views him is a mystery.

With three years of team control and a solid track record, Sandoval would hold a ton of value on the market. The Angels had to give up their top prospects to land a rental in Giolito, and Sandoval would be worth more than that right-hander.

For Chicago, Sandoval gives them a cheaper option than Cease, and one that has one additional year of control. For the Angels, trading Sandoval would obviously hurt, but they'd be replacing him with a guy who was the Cy Young runner up in 2022, and has been extremely durable.

Of course, a deal wouldn't be just Sandoval alone. The Angels would have to sweeten the pot.

2) Caden Dana

The White Sox obviously acquired Edgar Quero and Ky Bush from the Angels in the Giolito trade, but they didn't milk the entire farm system dry. While the Angels farm is still obviously one of the worst in the majors, there are still some young players to get excited about. One of them is Caden Dana, who the White Sox would almost certainly be asking for in a Cease trade.

Dana is just 19 years old and is coming off a strong season. The right-hander posted a 3.56 ERA in 14 starts and 68.1 innings pitched, making it up to A+ Tri-City. Dana's command is a work in progress, but the stuff is great, and he showed it by fanning 11.7 batters per nine.

Dana is currently the number two ranked prospect in the Angels system and would give the White Sox an arm they can plan to be part of their future rotation. Chicago would be entering a full rebuild if they traded Cease away, so they can wait for Dana who probably won't be ready for a couple of years. His MLB ETA is 2026 according to MLB Pipeline.

Giving Dana away would be difficult in a farm system that lacks much promise, but if that's what it takes to land a 27-year-old with two years of team control, it does make sense to let go of said prospect.

3) Nelson Rada

Nelson Rada is another prospect Angels fans should be really excited about. He just completed his first full season in the minors, and capped off the year by winning a Gold Glove. Yes, he was that impressive defensively.

While the glove is definitely ahead of the bat right now, Rada still showed some promise offensively. He slashed .276/.396/.346 with two home runs and 48 RBI In 115 games. He stole 55 bases and hit six triples, showing off incredible speed. Yes, Rada did lack power, but as he continues to grow and mature he can be a 10-15 home run hitter. He displayed some good plate vision, good bat control, and of course, blazing speed.

The best part about Rada is he just turned 18 years old this past August and put up quality numbers in Single-A Inland Empire. He'll likely begin next season at a higher level, and could make his way up to the upper minors before he even turns 20. With how aggressive the Angels are with their prospects, it's possible he's in the majors as a teenager if he's not included in this Cease trade.

While like Dana, Rada is pretty far away, the White Sox can wait. They do currently have one of the bright young stars in the majors playing center field in Luis Robert Jr., but Chicago could easily trade him this offseason or sometime in the not-too-distant future too. Even if they don't, they can put Rada at a corner spot and be more than happy with that.

The White Sox don't have any quality outfield prospects, and the only outfielder of note in the majors right now is Robert. Andrew Benintendi is nothing to write home about, and Oscar Colas didn't show much in 2023. Rada gives the White Sox an outfielder to get excited about when it comes to their future.

No, the Angels likely would not have to include all three, but perhaps two of these three plus another lesser piece can get the deal done.

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