"While I would love to see Cease in a Braves' uni, I think he may get a much better deal elsewhere with Atlanta's seeming insistence on being "logical" with every free agent (cue Friedman's famous quote). Milwaukee has a penchant for really getting something extra out of pitchers, and Peralta is a finished product who will be too expensive for them to keep much longer."
"At one point in our free agent deliberations, we had Dylan Cease signing a three-year, $93MM deal with two opt-outs. We were having a bit of a hard time giving Cease the long-term contract he's likely seeking, mostly because of his 4.55 ERA. For the most part, we've gotten past those reservations and expect Cease to sign for perhaps seven years, as did coming off a 4.46 regular season mark."
"It should be noted that the Braves were competitive in the bidding for Nola, so we can't completely rule out Alex Anthopoulos going long for the Georgia-native Cease. But it's also true that in eight years atop the Braves' front office, Anthopoulos' biggest free agent deal in both years and dollars was Marcell Ozuna's four-year, $65MM pact in February 2021. I agree that Cease feels unlikely in Atlanta."
MLBTR will release its Top 50 Free Agents list Thursday evening and launch a free agent prediction contest. The subscriber mailbag addresses potential Freddy Peralta trades, the possible impact of a 2026–27 lockout on this winter's free agency, Bo Bichette's likely landing spots if he leaves Toronto, the Dodgers' chances to acquire Kyle Tucker, and how the Cubs might respond to losing Tucker while seeking a rotation upgrade. A reader proposes a Braves-Milwaukee trade for Peralta involving Bryce Elder plus top pitching and position prospects. Dylan Cease's free-agent market and Atlanta's past bidding behavior are discussed.
Read at MLB Trade Rumors
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