Braves Rumors: Atlanta faces competition from bitter rival in Padres trade talks

Now that the Atlanta Braves finally made a move this offseason when they signed Jurickson Profar, most of the fan outcry has died down considerably. However, that doesn't mean there are not improvements that could be made to the Braves' roster heading into 2025 especially when it comes to the pitching staff.

Atlanta's rotation is in perfectly acceptable shape with Chris Sale, Reynaldo Lopez, and Spencer Schwellenbach at the start and Spencer Strider returning in May. No one should be upset if that is the core the Braves roll with. That said, the Braves did just lose Max Fried and adding a proven rotation arm has been rumored to be on Atlanta's to-do list all offseason long.

With the offseason winding down, the best source for a rotation upgrade appears to be a trade with the Padres. San Diego is dealing with some ownership strife and a bloated payroll and they have been openly entertaining offers for Dylan Cease and Michael King and both of pitchers would be potential fits for the Braves. As it turns out, the Braves may be trying to swing such a trade, although the Mets appear to be in the running as well.

Braves face fierce competition from the Mets in trade market for Dylan Cease and Michael King

There is a lot to like about a Braves trade for Cease and/or King. Both pitchers are importantly very good and would be strict upgrades over the current internal options Atlanta has for the last spot in the rotation. Both players are also in the last year of arbitration eligibility which means they would come with no long-term financial commitment and at a very reasonable payroll hit for 2025.

Of course, it isn't like other teams aren't aware of Cease and King's value as well and Atlanta was never going to be alone in that market. Ragazzo points out that the Mets have had some semblance of conversations with the Padres on both pitchers and it is exceedingly likely that other teams are checking in right now as well. That all adds up to a potential bidding war that Atlanta may not have the stomach for.

In order to land one of King or Cease, the Braves may have to part with top catching prospect Drake Baldwin. The Padres have a really good catching prospect on the way in Ethan Salas, but he may require some more time to develop and their short-term need at catcher is still real even after they signed Elias Diaz again. It is possible they could also be convinced by a package that included some near ready starting pitching prospects given Joe Musgrove's injury and that sort of package may be easier for Atlanta to swing given their minor league depth there.

Will a deal get done? That is unclear as there is no indications the Padres are close with any team at the moment. However, what is clear is that Alex Anthopoulos may not be done just yet even with spring training rapidly approaching.

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