The New York Yankees have renewed their trade discussions with the Chicago White Sox regarding star pitcher Dylan Cease, according to USA Today’s Bob Nightengale.

The negotiations picked back up as Yankees ace Gerrit Cole faces “discomfort” in his pitching elbow, with an MRI scheduled to determine the extent of a potential injury. The Yankees are now looking at alternatives for an Opening Day starter, and it seems the team is increasingly likely to add some roster insurance for their $324 million star pitcher.

Writing for FanSided, Zachary Rotman projected that a trade package of three top prospects and two young infielders could be enough to bring Cease to New York. He proposed that the Yankees send Chase Hampton, Everson Pereira, Will Warren, Oswald Peraza and Oswaldo Cabrera to the White Sox in exchange for Cease.

The New York Yankees Will Have Trouble Trading for Dylan Cease Without Losing Spencer Jones

“The Yankees would give up three of their top ten prospects according to MLB Pipeline along with two young MLB players to get their hands on Cease,” Rotman projected. “It’s a lot, but this is the kind of offer that really gets the White Sox to listen.”

Reporting that the trade discussions around Cease had picked back up, Nightengale added that the Yankees were still unwilling to part with “prized outfield prospect Spencer Jones.” If that continues to be the case, it could mean that only an extensive bundle of alternative assets can get a deal done.

“The White Sox would be receiving both of New York’s top pitching prospects in this trade,” Rotman noted. “Chicago would also be receiving a MLB-ready outfield prospect in Pereira, and a pair of MLB infielders who do not have starting spots on the Yankees in Peraza and Cabrera.”

With Gerrit Cole Facing Potential Injury, the New York Yankees May Be Desperate to Trade for a Pitcher

Though it’s unknown whether Cole is legitimately injured, the initial signs are not encouraging for Yankees fans.

Cole threw a mere 39 pitches across two innings in a Spring Training debut then roughly 50 pitches in a simulated game before facing difficulty in recovering, according to Mike Axisa of CBS Sports.

“The Yankees have started to consider other options about who could start Opening Day if Cole is unavailable,” Axisa reported. “It goes without saying that losing Cole for any length of time would be a devastating blow to a Yankees team that is trying to return to the postseason after going 82-80 in 2023, the franchise’s worst record in three decades.”

While there are premier options on the free-agent market, including 2023 NL Cy Young Award winner Blake Snell, analysts have noted that signing such a player could be financially prohibitive for the Yankees due to their high-tier payroll.

“If the Yankees were to sign Snell to a one-year deal worth $30 million, it would actually cost them $63 million in total — and they would also have to surrender two draft choices and $1 million in international bonus pool money,” according to The Athletic.

As a result, if the Yankees want to insure their roster against the potential absence of Cole, a trade for Cease might be the best option. And if they won’t part with Jones or fellow top prospect Jasson Dominguez, a five-player package might be required.

“If the Yankees won’t trade Jones or Dominguez, this kind of package might be what they’re looking at in a Cease trade,” Rotman concluded.