On the last day of November, the MLB hot stove is certainly heating up. With that in mind, let's dive into some of the latest MLB rumors, news and notes surrounding the Atlanta Braves, Seattle Mariners and New York Yankees.
Atlanta Braves rumors: A Dylan Cease trade coming soon?
It appears the intrigue surrounding Chicago White Sox starting pitcher Dylan Cease and where he may land could potentially be coming to an end soon as a trade may reportedly happen before the start of the MLB Winter Meetings early next week in Nashville.
Sources: Dylan Cease trade talks have intensified in the last 48 hours, and some people close to the negotiations believe a deal *before* the winter meetings is increasingly possible.
— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) November 29, 2023
Cease’s hometown Braves are among the finalists. @MLBNetwork @MLB
Of course, that last line is of great interest to Atlanta fans as the team is looking to add to its rotation and has missed out on a couple of big names on the mound already this offseason in Aaron Nola and Sonny Gray, both of whom landed with other National League teams.
Will the Braves finally land their next big-name pitcher or will another team outbid them?
Seattle Mariners rumors: Blake Snell stumping to pitch in Seattle?
With the reigning NL Cy Young winner hailing originally from Seattle and now a free agent, there have been plenty of people (including NBC's Mike Tirico) trying to connect Snell to pitching for the Mariners in 2024 and beyond. Well, if you're a Mariners fan, there may be more to it than just rumors.
Echoing what Mike Tirico weirdly mentioned on the NBC NFL broadcast the other night: Someone with knowledge of Blake Snell's thinking recently told me he badly wants to pitch for his hometown Mariners. So take that for what it's worth.
— Chris Cotillo (@ChrisCotillo) November 28, 2023
Could Snell stay on the West Coast? It's certainly a possibility with a number of teams interested in signing him, including the Mariners. But will be the price be right in Seattle to land him?
New York Yankees rumors: Will price be too high for Juan Soto?
According to Jon Heyman of The New York Post in this article, knowing that any trade for Soto will guarantee just one year of control (2024) before free agency, the price may be too high for the Yankees when it comes to making a trade with the San Diego Padres to acquire the superstar slugger.
Will the Yankees be willing to meet San Diego's asking price? Or will they pivot to pursuing Cody Bellinger as their top priority? Heyman writes, "It’s hard to know for sure, but for now it feels like the Yankees might like Soto more than Bellinger." If that's the case, there will have to be a plan in place for a massive extension for Soto if they want to keep him in the Bronx beyond next season.