Sometimes the best trade is the one you don’t make, and the Atlanta Braves might be glad they didn’t pull the trigger on this one.

One of the most in-demand starting pitchers on the trade market this season has been Dylan Cease of the Chicago White Sox, and Alex Anthopoulos confirmed that the Braves tried, and failed, to acquire the starter this offseason.

According to public comments Anthopoulos made at FanFest this weekend when talking to 680 The Fan, White Sox general manager Chris Getz just wanted too much prospect capital in return for the starter.

“We already tried! Too expensive!” Anthopoulos exclaimed to fans on the other side of glass separating the fan areas from the broadcast table inside the Chop House, emphasizing the point by making the “money” sign with his fingers.

Cease, who was the runner-up for the 2022 Cy Young award in the American League, has two years of team control remaining prior to free agency.

A report from December, discussing a proposed trade between the White Sox and the Cincinnati Reds, revealed that the ask of the Reds was four top prospects returning to the White Sox, including top pitching prospects Rhett Lowder and Chase Petty plus two additional top ten prospects, preferably position players.

An equivalent deal from Atlanta, who is considered to have a much worse farm system than Cincinnati, would undoubtedly revolve around the duo of Hurston Waldrep and AJ Smith-Shawver plus multiple other pieces. Atlanta’s system, which is not flush with position player talent, would probably have to sacrifice four of its top five pitching prospects to meet Getz’s demands.

And so, Anthopoulos pivoted, sending only Vaughn Grissom to the Boston Red Sox to secure Chris Sale, later extending him for the 2025 season with a club option for 2026.

Time will tell if that was the correct move, but keeping both Waldrep and Smith-Shawver for the 2025 season, where the Braves could potentially lose both Max Fried and Charlie Morton to free agency, feels as of now like it was the correct decision.