SNY's Yankees trade proposal for Dylan Cease reveals objectively insane asking price

Thought the asking price for one year of Juan Soto initially sounded insane? Well, prepare for your jaw to hit the floor with the latest buzz surrounding prized Chicago White Sox pitcher Dylan Cease, who is expected to be traded this offseason.

The New York Yankees have been mentioned as a potential suitor, but it's tough to diagnose where they might stand. They didn't exactly get gutted in the Soto trade, but their resources are now limited as a result.

And how much more can they afford to part with? They remain in danger of further affecting their major league depth and upper levels of the farm system.

That said, for the right trade candidate, Brian Cashman shouldn't pull any punches. But is Cease the "right" acquisition? Sure, he's a young pitcher with ace potential, plenty of "Swords" to his name, and two years of team control. Those aspects make him invaluable to the Yankees based on what they currently need at the moment.

But the asking price for Cease remains high, and it's a hard sell for a guy who has only one season with an ERA below 3.91 and still struggles with walks (4.0 BB/9). For crying out loud, he's coming off a year in which he registered a 4.58 ERA and 1.42 WHIP in 33 starts (only 177 innings). And you mean to tell us a former GM pitched THIS package for the Yankees to send to the Sox?!

SNY's Yankees trade proposal for Dylan Cease reveals objectively insane asking price

Rumor has it Cease could cost three top-100 prospects, which explains Duquette's proposal, but ... yeah, this ain't happening. If the Yankees weren't willing to surrender Chase Hampton in the Soto talks, on what planet will he join Jasson Dominguez and Will Warren in a deal for Cease, who definitely is not one of the best players in Major League Baseball?

The Yankees' rotation does need to get better, but not at the expense of gutting this much talent. Standing pat here wouldn't be an instance of prospect hugging, either. Dominguez is a future centerpiece, and he proved that as much in just a week of play. Meanwhile, Hampton and Warren were the pitchers Cashman refused to trade to the Padres in the Soto deal because the organization views them highly.

Per reports, the Yankees have ruled out Shōta Imanaga and have had renewed interest in Blake Snell. They remain in on Cease, per MLB insider Ken Rosenthal, but if it comes down to throwing around cash or potentially mortgaging the future, New York might prefer the former.

If the prognostication is anywhere close to Duquette's mock package, there's almost a 0% chance Cashman stayed on the phone with the White Sox for longer than 15 seconds.

For as promising as Cease is, Yankees fans might be collectively disappointed if anything close to that prediction goes down ... even if it is factoring in the perpetual "Yankees Tax."