According to USA Today’s Bob Nightengale, the Braves are one of several teams negotiating a trade with the Chicago White Sox for Dylan Cease.
On several levels, this makes sense. The Braves require a starting pitcher, and with Aaron Nola and Sonny Gray no longer available, the free agent market appears much more bleak than it did a few weeks ago. Dylan Cease, from Milton, Georgia, has also been under control for two years. As a result, it’s reasonable to expect that if the Braves do acquire him, he’ll be interested in a long-term extension rather than waiting to become a free agent.
With so many teams looking for starting pitching, Cease won’t be cheap.
He’s an ace with years of experience. Every contending team will contact the White Sox to inquire about his availability, and the Braves don’t exactly have a stacked farm system.
With that said, FanDuel recently proposed a trade between Atlanta and Chicago, with the Braves acquiring Dylan Cease in exchange for AJ Smith-Shawver, Dylan Dodd, Vaughn Grissom, and Owen Murphy.
As a Braves fan, I can say unequivocally that I would not turn down this offer.
AJ Smith-Shawver is a top pitching prospect with a lot of promise, but he has yet to prove himself. Pitching prospects have a very low hit rate, and even when they do hit, injuries frequently prevent them from reaching their full potential, as we’ve seen recently with Michael Soroka and Kyle Wright.
Vaughn Grissom is the other main attraction in this deal. Some may believe he isn’t worth as much as other top prospects, but I couldn’t disagree more. Grissom was unfortunately rushed to the majors far too quickly out of necessity. If that weren’t the case, he’d be mentioned in the same breath as the game’s best offensive prospects.
At the age of 22, Grissom hit.330 with a.920 OPS in AAA. At that age, very few players in AAA are putting up those kinds of numbers. As far as the Braves are concerned, Grissom’s defense is a problem. He’s not a shortstop, and there aren’t many other options for him. Perhaps the Braves should try him out in left field, or they should trade him now while his value is still high.
Owen Murphy is an intriguing prospect who was drafted in the first round in 2022. In theory, the Braves should work on replenishing all levels of their farm system, but if they are serious about trading for Dylan Cease, none of that matters.
Alex Anthopoulos should have no qualms about trading a player who is years away from contributing for a player who can help the Braves win the World Series in the next two years.
This agreement also includes Dylan Dodd. He’s close to being ready for the big leagues, but he’ll be a backend of the rotation starter at best. As with Murphy, the Braves should have no trouble incorporating Dodd into a trade for anything significant.
I make this trade ten times out of ten. Regrettably, the question is, who says no? The White Sox are the answer.
In an ideal world, the Braves could sign an ace with multiple years of control, such as Dylan Cease, without giving up both AJ Smith-Shawver and Hurston Waldrep. I simply don’t see it.
There will be far too many teams vying for Cease’s services, with far deeper farm systems. If the Braves want to sign him, they’ll have to be willing to part with their two best prospects or major-league talent.
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