The Chicago White Sox acquired right-handers Drew Thorpe and Jairo Iriarte from the San Diego Padres on Wednesday in exchange for right-hander Dylan Cease, according to a source. The White Sox finally trade Cease away in the midst of their rebuild and land two of San Diego's top-10 prospects in Thorpe (No. 5) and Iriarte (No. 8), per MLB Pipeline. Thorpe, 23, was acquired by the Friars in the blockbuster trade over the winter that sent Juan Soto to the Yankees. He excelled in the minors for the Yanks in 2023 while getting a lot of whiffs with his changeup and slider. Thorpe doesn't throw that hard, though, and lacks the upside of a high-end fantasy starter. Iriarte, 22, can touch triple digits with his heater but doesn't have the command that Thorpe does. He could be a high-leverage reliever in the long term. Both pitchers are merely dynasty stashed in fantasy in 2024.

The San Diego Padres have acquired star right-hander Dylan Cease from the Chicago White Sox. The 28-year-old's name has been a staple in the rumor mill this offseason with Cease being connected to a number of teams. Ultimately, it's the Padres who have acquired the 2022 AL Cy Young runner-up. Cease worked to a 2.20 ERA in that 2022 campaign but regressed to a 4.58 ERA across 33 starts in the 2023 season. He sports a career 3.83 ERA across 123 big-league starts along with a strong 28.1% K% in that time. However, he also tends to struggle with control by way of a 10.4% career walk rate. Cease's fantasy value gets a boost from a wins perspective on a superior Padres club but a move from the weak AL Central to what should be a strong NL West can have a negative impact.

Philadelphia Phillies manager Rob Thomson said that he expects outfielder/designated hitter Kyle Schwarber (groin) to play in the Grapefruit League contest on Thursday against the Boston Red Sox after he was scratched from the lineup on Wednesday versus the Detroit Tigers as a precaution due to right-groin tightness. "He said he felt fine to play, but I pulled him out just as a precaution," Thomson said. The 31-year-old left-handed slugger seems to be just fine and will be ready for the start of the 2024 regular season at the end of March. Schwarber has carried one of the lowest batting averages in recent seasons among regular starters, but his elite power production and RBI opportunities in a strong Phillies lineup make him worth of being a No. 2 fantasy outfielder.

New York Yankees right-hander Gerrit Cole (elbow) has had X-rays and a CT scan on his elbow, in addition to an MRI. He flew to Los Angeles on Wednesday for an in-person visit with Dr. Neal ElAttrache, where more testing is planned. There remains no official timeline from the Yankees for Cole's return/recovery, although the New York Post reported on Wednesday morning that Cole would miss at least a month or two. ElAttrache and Yankees doctors haven't found a tear in the reigning American League Cy Young winner's right elbow, but there remains some concern. Cole is one of, if not the most, dominant starting pitchers in baseball, so losing him for an extended period of time would be a devastating blow to New York's rotation to begin the year. Stay tuned for more news on Cole, but needless to say, he's now become a huge risk as a fantasy ace in 2024.

Cleveland Guardians starting pitcher Gavin Williams (elbow) was scratched ahead of his scheduled start on Sunday. The right-hander is dealing with right elbow discomfort, so the organization is going to proceed with extreme caution. Luckily, Williams is currently considered as day-to-day, so the team doesn't believe it's a long term issue. The Guardians are likely going to ease Williams back into activities throughout the spring. Williams has been a stud this spring, so the hope is that he'll be ready to go by Opening Day.