Watching Max Fried trade in those red and navy hues for Yankees pinstripes wasn’t easy. Sure, the Atlanta Braves seemed prepared for this possibility — it’s not like they didn’t see the writing on the wall.
But when the ace you’ve watched develop for years walks away to ink the biggest lefty pitching contract ever, it still leaves a mark. Eight years and $218 million was just too steep a mountain for the Braves to climb, and here we are.
So, now what? The good news is that Atlanta isn’t left totally high and dry. Chris Sale, 2024 NL Cy Young winner, is there to anchor things. Then there’s Spencer Strider, who is basically a strikeout machine in human form, plus Reynaldo López, who’s proven he can hang in a rotation role.
Add in young talents like Spencer Schwellenbach, and the Braves pitching cupboard isn’t exactly bare. But if you’re aiming for another World Series title — and, let’s be real, that’s the goal — maybe there’s room for one more big arm.
Braves Show Interest in Dylan Cease
Enter: Dylan Cease. You know, the guy who finished fourth in Cy Young voting this year. He’s got electric, and the Braves have reportedly been eyeing him as a potential trade target.
Let’s get one thing straight: Cease just got to San Diego. But the Padres, who are suddenly feeling a budget crunch, might be willing to flip him for the right price. They only have him under team control for one more year, and if a team like the Braves can pry him away, it might just be the move that pushes them over the edge.
Jacob Mountz from FanSided laid out the case: the Braves coaching staff has a reputation for working magic. If they could get Cease back to his stellar 2022 form, he wouldn’t just be a good addition but a game-changer. We’re talking about a serious upgrade to an already solid rotation that could terrify opposing hitters come October.
But, of course, there’s a catch. That projected $13 million salary for 2025 isn’t outrageous, but Cease is a rental unless Atlanta breaks their trend of avoiding long-term pitching deals. And let’s be honest — we saw how that went with Fried.
The Braves aren’t exactly eager to shell out decade-long commitments to starting pitchers, even talented ones. So if Cease does end up in Atlanta, it might be a one-year fling. And you know what? Maybe that’s fine.
Sometimes, you have to go all-in for a shot at the crown. The Braves know their championship window is wide open right now. Adding Dylan Cease might be a short-term play, but if that short-term ends with another parade in Atlanta, nobody’s going to be complaining.
