Phillies' Division Rivals Targeting Trade for Star Pitcher

The Philadelphia Phillies seem to have competition for a potential pitching target of theirs this offseason as their division rivals are reportedly interested in making a deal to acquire the star.
Phillies' Division Rivals Targeting Trade for Star Pitcher
Phillies' Division Rivals Targeting Trade for Star Pitcher /
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Re-signing Aaron Nola at the beginning of the offseason was a huge win for the Philadelphia Phillies.

Not only did they accomplish their No. 1 priority, but they also solidified their rotation for years to come and kept him out of the hands of their division rival Atlanta Braves, who were reportedly interested in signing him.

Having Nola in the opposing uniform for multiple years as this rivalry grows would have been a tough pill to swallow.

However, despite the Phillies getting their ace back on the roster, that doesn't mean they are done looking at adding arms.

They had previously been linked to starter Dylan Cease who is available for trade this offseason as the Chicago White Sox look to rebuild. The Cy Young runner-up in 2022 will have plenty of suitors as he's one of the best arms available on the market.

Philadelphia was able to keep the Braves from getting their top guy previously, but it seems like Atlanta is now turning their attention to the 27-year-old according to USA TODAY's Bob Nightengale.

"Atlanta has joined the Dodgers and several others who are engaged in trade talks with the Chicago White Sox for ace Dylan Cease," he reported.

The Braves are looking to add starting pitching help in the rotation this offseason behind Spencer Strider and Max Fried as question marks about the back-end starters persist.

Them landing someone with the caliber of Cease would be a scary proposition for the Phillies.

Who Atlanta would be willing to offer for the right-handed ace is unclear as of now, but they seem well positioned to give up some hefty assets to ensure they land Cease.

Philadelphia might not want to get into a bidding war that centers around prospects since they've attempted to rebuild their farm system in recent years to supplement the MLB talent they've signed in free agency.

This will certainly be a situation to monitor as one of the best arms in baseball has been made available in trade talks.


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Brad Wakai
BRAD WAKAI

Brad Wakai graduated from Penn State University with a degree in Journalism. While an undergrad, he did work at the student radio station covering different Penn State athletic programs like football, basketball, volleyball, soccer and other sports. Brad currently is the Lead Contributor for Nittany Lions Wire of Gannett Media where he continues to cover Penn State athletics. He is also a contributor at FanSided, writing about the Philadelphia 76ers for The Sixers Sense. Brad is the host of the sports podcast I Said What I Said, discussing topics across the NFL, College Football, the NBA and other sports. You can follow him on Twitter: @bwakai