With Dylan Cease entering a contract season, it should give teams like the Atlanta Braves even more reason to acquiring him. Cease grew up locally just outside of Atlanta in Milton, Georgia. He is the ideal type of starting pitcher that Braves general manager Alex Anthopoulos would trade for and then extend up arrival. Atlanta has had its eyes on Cease ever since he pitched for the Chicago White Sox.

So as far as the Braves’ chances of acquiring the right-hander are concerned, they are better and more likely than they were to start the week. With right-hander Nick Pivetta signing a deal with the Padres, that in theory takes away some of the money San Diego could pay to extend Cease on a new contract. It also removes a high-end pitcher a team like the Braves could have potentially signed, too.

For a while now, Cease is the starting pitcher I want the Braves to acquire. The only real problem with that for Atlanta is the Braves’ farm system is not as enticing as it meets the eye. The Braves usually do a great job of developing their players, but very rarely do you see Atlanta putting forth some of the very best prospects in a given year in baseball. The San Diego Padres will want someone like that.

The Pivetta signing does help the Braves, but they may just forward with what they already have, too.

For more news and rumors, check out MLB Insider Robert Murray’s work on The Baseball Insiders podcast, subscribe to The Moonshot, our weekly MLB newsletter, and join the discord to get the inside scoop during the MLB offseason.

Follow me on this. With Max Fried and Charlie Morton signing elsewhere in free agency, as well as Spencer Strider still working his way back from a season-ending elbow injury, the Braves will have to reshuffle their starting rotation just a bit. For the time being, here is what it will probably look like.

1. Chris Sale
2. Reynaldo Lopez
3. Spencer Schwellenbach
4. Grant Holmes
5. Ian Anderson

Sale and Lopez were NL All-Stars last year in the first season with the Braves. While they could be as good as they were a year ago, I do expect some regression to the mean. I mean, why would that not happen? Sale won the Triple Crown and Lopez had one of the best ERAs in baseball. Spencer Schwellenbach settling in at No. 3 could be a huge boon to the rotation or could completely backfire.

Atlanta clearly likes what Grant Holmes has to offer as a potential starter for them. When Ian Anderson was healthy, he was one of the brightest stars in the Atlanta farm system. While I am bullish on what this rotation could potentially do, there is no question in my mind that adding Cease would take it from good to great to even extraordinary. It all comes down to what Atlanta has to give up.

For my money, the only prospects I would not put forth in a trade are catcher Drake Baldwin and pitcher Cam Caminiti. Baldwin could be a future starter behind the dish for Atlanta. Caminiti is the franchise’s new top pitching prospect. If landing Cease requires moving on from the likes of AJ Smith-Shawver or Hurston Waldrep, just make it happen. I know what Cease is totally capable of.

In the meantime, let’s kick back and try to relax with the roster that Anthopoulos has provided us.