The Atlanta Braves faced challenges with pitching depth throughout the 2024 season. While their top four starting pitchers were solid, Spencer Strider’s injury left the fifth spot uncertain. Over the winter, the Braves lost Max Fried and Charlie Morton in free agency, without replacing either of them. To fill the gap left by this talented duo, the team will likely need to make a significant trade. Recently, Bleacher Report’s Zachary Rymer predicted the Braves would acquire San Diego Padres ace Dylan Cease in a major trade. Cease, entering the final year of his contract, is expected to sign for $108 million in free agency next winter, according to Spotrac.
Here’s the full deal pitched by Rymer that would send Cease to the Braves:
Atlanta Braves receive: RHP Dylan Cease
San Diego Padres receive: RHP AJ Smith-Shawver (No. 2 prospect), C Drake Baldwin (No. 5 prospect)
“The 26-year-old is less than a year removed from major elbow surgery, but David O’Brien of The Athletic reported that the strikeout-happy righty is ‘expected to have more or less a normal spring training.’ If so, he could return early in 2025,” Rymer wrote. “This said, the uncertainty in Atlanta’s rotation is palpable. Max Fried and Charlie Morton are gone, after all.
“And in addition to Strider’s durability, the Braves should also be worried about Cy Young Award winner Chris Sale’s age. He’ll turn 36 on March 30. This proposal would be a heavy price to pay from the Braves’ perspective, but Cease need not be a one-year fix. This is a franchise that loves its extensions.”
Acquiring Cease would come at a high cost for the Braves, but it could pay off if they manage to secure him with an extension. While Baldwin is talented, he’s behind Sean Murphy in Atlanta’s lineup, and Smith-Shawver also faces stiff competition from a wealth of young talent, especially with Cease joining the team. However, if the Braves can’t lock Cease into an extension, they might end up regretting this deal down the road.
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