The Atlanta Braves attempted to acquire Dylan Cease through a trade but were ultimately unsuccessful in their endeavors.

Alex Anthopoulos, the General Manager of the Atlanta Braves, disclosed during FanFest that the organization opted against pursuing Dylan Cease from the Chicago White Sox due to the steep price tag associated with the pitcher. This decision highlights the notion that sometimes abstaining from a trade can be more beneficial than executing one.

Dylan Cease, a highly sought-after starting pitcher in the trade market this season, caught the attention of the Braves, who made efforts to acquire him. However, Anthopoulos revealed that negotiations with White Sox General Manager Chris Getz failed as Getz demanded an excessive amount of prospect capital in return for Cease.

Anthopoulos expressed this sentiment directly to fans during a public appearance at FanFest, where he emphasized the financial aspect of the deal by gesturing the “money” sign with his fingers. Cease, a formidable pitcher who was the runner-up for the 2022 Cy Young award in the American League, still has two years of team control left before reaching free agency, making him an attractive asset for potential suitors.

Reports from December shed light on the White Sox’s trade demands, revealing that they sought four top prospects from the Cincinnati Reds in exchange for Cease. This package included top pitching prospects Rhett Lowder and Chase Petty, along with two other top ten prospects, preferably position players. Considering Atlanta’s farm system is considered less robust than Cincinnati’s, any equivalent deal from the Braves would likely involve trading away key prospects such as Hurston Waldrep and AJ Smith-Shawver, in addition to other valuable assets. Given Atlanta’s scarcity of position player talent in their farm system, they might have had to part ways with four out of their top five pitching prospects to meet the White Sox’s demands.

In light of the challenging negotiations for Cease, Anthopoulos redirected his efforts towards acquiring Chris Sale from the Boston Red Sox. The Braves ultimately traded Vaughn Grissom to secure Sale, extending his contract through the 2025 season with a club option for 2026. This strategic move indicates the Braves’ commitment to bolstering their pitching rotation for the upcoming seasons.

Only time will reveal the outcome of this decision, but retaining promising prospects like Waldrep and Smith-Shawver for the 2025 season appears prudent, especially considering the potential departure of key pitchers like Max Fried and Charlie Morton to free agency. As the Braves navigate their roster and strategic moves, the decision to abstain from pursuing Cease may prove to be the right one in the long run.