It’s been a relatively quiet winter for the Atlanta Braves, especially on the trade front. Frankly, that should make the rest of Major League Baseball nervous.
We’ve seen in years past that the Braves usually have at least one unexpected blockbuster in store during the offseason. They got eventual Cy Young Award winner Chris Sale from the Boston Red Sox last winter and All-Star catcher Sean Murphy from the Athletics the winter before.
Starting pitching would be the obvious target for the Braves right now if they chose to make another big trade. Having lost All-Star Max Fried to the New York Yankees, there is at least one open slot in the Atlanta rotation.
If they’re going to acquire a new starter via trade, the Braves’ best bet for a partner these days appears to be the San Diego Padres.
On Friday, FanSided’s Cody Williams urged Atlanta to complete its rotation by making a trade for one of the Padres’ two impending free-agent starters: Dylan Cease or Michael King.
“If the Braves want to think about just getting the best pitcher they possibly can, then calling the San Diego Padres about either Michael King or Dylan Cease, both of whom have been mentioned as potential trade candidates throughout the offseason,” Williams wrote.
“And while the reported asking price (the Cubs asked for Matt Shaw and more) will certainly be high, it could be a deal that ultimately works for Atlanta.”
Both right-handers are 29 years old, and it’s anyone’s guess who might have the better 2025 season. Cease had a slightly higher ERA last season (3.47 to King’s 2.95), but threw more innings (189 2/3 to 173 2/3) and struck out more batters (224 to 201).
Both finished in the top 10 of Cy Young voting as well – Cease in fourth place and King in seventh.
Earlier this week, the Padres agreed to a unique deal with King that avoided arbitration and lessened his impact on the 2025 payroll, so Cease now looks like the more plausible trade candidate, with a $13.75 million salary heading into the year.
If the Braves can trade for Cease or King, they’ll rocket up the World Series odds sheet heading into Opening Day.
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