The Braves have already made a couple of significant additions to their roster, re-signing Raisel Iglesias and trading for Mauricio Dubon. Those moves don’t take them out of the running for more relievers or another shortstop, but the main focus has clearly shifted to the rotation, where the Braves need to add another proven starter.
Throughout Alex Anthopoulos’ tenure as general manager, he has consistently been hesitant to get into bidding wars for free-agent starting pitchers, never once signing one to a multi-year deal. It’s a market that’s always scorching hot, which makes value tough to come by. However, there was one instance where the Braves dipped their toe into the bidding a couple of years ago when they attempted to pry Aaron Nola away from the Phillies.
Ultimately, Philadelphia matched — and even exceeded — Atlanta’s offer, making Nola’s decision easy. In hindsight, Anthopoulos is probably thankful it worked out that way, given Nola’s struggles since signing that extension. But it did reveal what the Braves prioritize most: durability.
From 2018–2024, Nola never missed a start, logging at least 180 innings every year outside the shortened 2020 season. He’s never been a true ace, but his reliability had the Braves willing to go further than they ever had before. And this year’s version of Aaron Nola is Dylan Cease.
“…Cease, who grew up in the suburbs of Atlanta, makes a lot of sense for the Braves,” Andy McCullough writes for The Athletic. “Spencer Strider made 23 starts in 2025 and Chris Sale made 20. An elbow fracture shortened the season of Spencer Schwellenbach. Cease, meanwhile, has made at least 32 starts every year since 2021. His stuff remains electric, even when his results fluctuate. A long-term pact with Cease is the sort of gamble the Braves can certainly afford to make.”
This past season, every single member of the Braves rotation spent significant time on the IL, with four pitchers suffering season-ending injuries. Durability is impossible to guarantee, but Cease has proven to be the closest thing to a sure bet, making 32 or more starts in each of the last five seasons.
On top of that, Cease offers a ceiling Nola never did. His arm talent is massive, and while inconsistencies have shown up at times, the highs have been spectacular — like his 2022 season, when he posted a 2.20 ERA with 11.1 K/9 and finished second in the AL Cy Young race.
When the Braves pursued Nola, their rumored offer was six years and $162 million, right in line with what most people believe Cease will command this offseason. The question now becomes: is this finally the time Alex Anthopoulos pushes his chips to the center of the table and lands a marquee free-agent starting pitcher?
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