3 Braves backup plans if Tyler Glasnow trade is off the board

The Los Angeles Dodgers are potentially on the verge of trading for Tampa Bay Rays ace Tyler Glasnow, another power move from the front office that just landed Shohei Ohtani for $2 million annually. The hard-throwing, 6-foot-8 righty would join Walker Buehler and Bobby Miller atop the Dodgers' reshaped rotation — with ongoing hope for a Clayton Kershaw return down the line.

Glasnow was arguably the hottest trade commodity on the market post-Juan Soto. He finished last season 10-7 in 21 starts for the 99-win Rays, posting a 3.53 ERA and 1.083 WHIP with 162 strikeouts in 120.0 innings pitched.

Durability is a slight concern for Glasnow, who has never eclipsed last season's 21 starts, but the Dodgers can afford to swing on talent. The 30-year-old is in the final year of his contract, but the Dodgers are more equipped than Tampa Bay (and several others suitors) to lock him up on a long-term extension.

That leaves the Atlanta Braves high and dry. Glasnow was frequently tied to Atlanta as a potential trade target, but Alex Anthopoulos will once again have to turn his attention elsewhere. The Braves already whiffed on Aaron Nola early in the offseason, while other high-profile free agents — Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Blake Snell, and the like — never really floated across the Braves' radar.

As the Braves attempt to boost the rotation behind Spencer Strider, here are a few viable fallback options for Anthopoulos and the front office.

3. Braves can trade for White Sox ace Dylan Cease

There hasn't been a trade target located more firmly inside Alex Anthopoulos' wheelhouse than 27-year-old Chicago White Sox ace Dylan Cease. He's young, with multiple years of team control left. He's also from the Atlanta area, so there's potential for a future hometown discount — especially if he experiences success with the Braves' offense behind him.

Last season was a mixed bag for Cease, as he went 7-9 in 33 starts. He put up a 4.58 ERA and 1.418 WHIP with 214 strikeouts in 177.0 innings pitched. Not great, especially by the high standards he set in 2022. Cease's ERA was at 2.20 the season prior, when he finished second in American League Cy Young voting. The Braves would hope Cease rekindles that form at the back end of his contract.

Given his relative youth and two years of team control, that's a bet the Braves can feel good about. Cease can punch it past hitters with a 95.6 MPH fastball and a potent slider. Despite clear signs of regression last season, Cease still encouraged a 31.0 percent whiff rate (81st percentile per Baseball Savant) and 27.3 percent strikeout rate (77th percentile).

The Braves need more depth to feel good about the pitching staff, but Strider profiles as a true No. 1, top-of-rotation dude. Max Fried is due for a bounce-back season if he's healthy, and Charlie Morton is quality back-end rotation depth, even at 40 years old. Cease doesn't need to return to Cy Young form for Atlanta to feel good about the outcome here. He's a great second or third man for an Atlanta team gunning for the postseason. Cease would certainly have more help than he did in Chicago.