The Braves recently completed a trade that sent Michael Soroka, Jared Shuster, Nicky Lopez, Braden Shewmake, and Riley Gowens to the Cubs in exchange for Aaron Bummer. But, as our own Alex Lord pointed out over the weekend, Alex Anthopoulos’ troubles with the White Sox may not be over.
Chris Getz, the new general manager of the Chicago White Sox, is reportedly open to offers on all of his players, and no one could command a higher price than Dylan Cease. The Georgia native is coming off an underwhelming season by his standards, with a 4.58 ERA in 33 starts, but no one doubts his talent. He’s 27 years old, has one of the dirtiest repertoires in the game, and is under contract with the team for two more seasons. While his value is sky-high, the rebuilding White Sox would be wise to deal him for a haul.
It’s no secret that the Braves’ farm system is lacking, but it’s not due to a lack of talent at the top. AJ Smith-Shawver and Hurston Waldrep are two legitimate prospects that every team wants to sign. Bryce Elder is another young pitcher with major-league experience. He is not a free agent until 2029 and would be of interest to many rebuilding teams. And what if pitching isn’t your thing? The Braves also have Vaughn Grissom, who is 22 years old and already one of the best bats in AAA.
Atlanta has enough money to make a blockbuster trade if they want to, and MLB Trade Rumors sees them as the best fit for Dylan Cease.
Braves: The Braves and White Sox have already made one significant trade this offseason, and it would make sense to do so again. With Kyle Wright out for the 2024 season and then traded to Kansas City, the Braves’ rotation appears to be somewhat thin, with little certainty behind a front three of Max Fried, Spencer Strider, and Charlie Morton. Cease’s acquisition could relieve pressure on Morton as he enters his age-40 season, as well as on young players like Bryce Elder and AJ Smith-Shawver. Meanwhile, in Atlanta, young infielder Vaughn Grissom is being blocked up the middle by Ozzie Albies and Orlando Arcia, but he could make an immediate impact In 2024, he could play second base for the White Sox.
MLB Trade Rumors also listed the Reds, Rays, Dodgers, Orioles, Diamondbacks, and Cardinals as potential trade partners. So, acquiring Cease will be expensive, and there will be plenty of suitors, but that can be said about any starting pitcher. There is no way around it. The top free-agent starters will almost all command contracts in excess of $100 million, and if the Braves want to strike a blockbuster deal for an elite starting pitcher with multiple years of control, they will have to part ways with the majority, if not all, of their best prospects.
They have done it before, and they may do it again. If they go that route, there may not be a better option than Dylan Cease, and they may be able to persuade him to sign a long-term extension with his hometown club before even playing a game, as they did with Matt Olson and Sean Murphy.
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