Braves predicted to pursue $109 million 'dream target' to replace Max Fried

It was always going to hurt the Atlanta Braves to lose Max Fried, but it's made worse by how brilliant the left-hander has been for the New York Yankees.

Fried, the two-time All-Star, has started 6-0 in the Bronx, with an MLB-best 1.24 ERA through 10 starts. If the season ended today, he'd be the American League's Cy Young Award winner, and the frustrating part for Braves fans is that it never felt like Atlanta had a chance to bring him back.

Spending big money on free agent pitchers simply hasn't been the Braves' way of doing things under president of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos. Is there any reason to think that will change in 2026?

One baseball writer believes that could happen, and it's to do with a pitcher who grew up just outside Atlanta--Dylan Cease of the San Diego Padres.

On Sunday, Cody Williams of FanSided predicted that the Braves would have a decent shot at landing Cease in free agency due to a report from the New York Post's Jon Heyman that San Diego was more likely to bring back fellow free agent Michael King than Cease.

"If San Diego does indeed prefer King, that opens the door for the Braves to make their move for Cease — a move that could potentially help Anthopoulos win back the fan base," Williams wrote.

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"The big question for Anthopoulos and the Braves, of course, will then become if Atlanta is willing to fork over the money it'll require to sign Cease if he does leave the Padres in free agency. That's a legitimate cause of concern for fans as this organization has not shown much in the way of being inclined to pony up a big paycheck on the open market."

Cease, 29, is projected for a five-year, $109 million deal by Spotrac. If that projection proves to be spot-on, it does feel as though the Braves stand a chance. But if the bidding creeps in the $200 million range, it's the Fried situation all over again.

Don't let the 4.60 ERA to this point fool you. Cease is a top-end starter--and he's probably going to be paid like it moving forward.

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