3 players on Braves holiday wish list ahead of MLB Winter Meetings
By Curt Bishop
2. Dylan Cease
On Wednesday, Jon Morosi of MLB Network reported that trade talks with Chicago White Sox ace Dylan Cease were intensifying. He also noted that the Braves appeared to be one of the favorites.
Cease is a native of Georgia, and if acquired by the Braves, he would have the chance to play closer to home. The White Sox have also made it abundantly clear that they are open for business in terms of trades, leaving no players untouchable.
Cease struggled in 2023, going 7-9 with a 4.58 ERA. Still, he isn't far removed from finishing in second place in the Cy Young race back in 2022. That year, he had a 2.20 ERA
Adding somebody with upside like Cease would be a big step forward for the Braves as they try to bounce back from their NLDS loss to the Philadelphia Phillies.
Cease struck out 214 batters and pitched 177 innings, so the Braves would be getting a strikeout machine and an innings eater for their starting rotation.
In an era where starters don't go very deep into games anymore, Cease is certainly a rare breed in that he can pitch deep.