As the holiday season gets underway, the Atlanta Braves are watching their options start to chip away. Like hot ticket items at a store on Black Friday, some potential additions are already scratched off the list. 

Over back-to-back, we’ve seen Sonny Gray traded to the Boston Red Sox and Georgia native Dylan Cease sign with the Toronto Blue Jays. Both were seen as potential options for the Braves’ rotation. They both depart from the National League for the American League East.

Official details aren’t out yet, but Cease’s new contract averages out to $30 million per season with Toronto. That’s likely too high for the Braves long term; it’s a seven-year deal. 

Cease was also extended a qualifying offer. The Braves would have had to forfeit a draft pick, likely the one they gained from Drake Baldwin winning Rookie of the Year. This could make signing other top starting pitching free agents a tough decision. 

Gray’s is a little more manageable. Since the Cardinals are sending over $20 million, the Red Sox are on the hook for $21 million. It would have made Gray one of the highest-paid players on the Braves, but for one or two seasons, that would have been more doable. 

However, unlike the Cease deal, this move would have required prospects to be moved. The most desired prospects in the Braves system likely would have been part of the asking price. They’re likely not something the Braves would want to explore in a deal. 

Regardless of how it could have hypothetically shaped out, the reality is that two notable speculative options are now off the market. It’s currently unknown what the Braves’ involvement was with these players. 

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Starting pitching remains a high priority for this team over the offseason. It’s early enough in the options where there are still options out there. But these recent moves show that the needle is starting to move. If they sit on their hands, they could miss out. 

The Braves aim to make upgrades, and there is a desire to increase payroll. Compared to last year, they’re already more active. There isn’t a need to panic yet. 

If there is a willingness to sign a pitcher tied to a qualifying offer, then some top options still available on the free-agent market include Framber Valdez, Zac Gallen, Ranger Suarez and Michael King. Without qualifying offers, options shrink down to older veteran options, such as Chris Bassitt. Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer are technically options, but those are types that you’ll believe it when you see it. 

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