The Atlanta Braves’ Search for Starting Pitching
The Atlanta Braves are in dire need of starting pitching to strengthen their rotation. Unfortunately, their farm system lacks the necessary assets to trade for a quality starter. So, what options do they have?
Exploring the Free Agency Market
One potential avenue for the Braves is to venture into the free agency market. Although the upcoming 2023-2024 free agent pool is relatively weak, there are still notable starters available, such as Aaron Nola, Jordan Montgomery, and Sonny Gray. Adding any of these pitchers to their rotation could prove to be an excellent move.
Considering Trades
Alternatively, the Braves could explore the possibility of trading two of their star players who are currently under incredibly team-friendly deals. By packaging these players, they could potentially acquire a starter with less team control but at a higher cost.
While most rational fans would quickly recognize the absurdity of this idea, Jeff Schultz of the Athletic recently floated it in his article. Although he mentioned leaning towards not trading either of the star players, it’s worth noting that sometimes unexpected decisions can yield surprising results.
“Here’s my view of Michael Harris II since this is getting a lot of attention. Great outfielder. Great guy. Atlanta native. Hitting, we’ll see. I wrote I lean toward NOT trading. But if he could be part of a deal for a quality starting pitcher, they’d have to look at it.” – Jeff Schultz
Exploring Trade Scenarios
Instead of completely dismissing the idea of trading Ozzie Albies or Michael Harris II, let’s take a closer look at potential trades involving these two Braves players. It’s important to note that Schultz did not specify which “high-quality starters” he believes are worth trading them for.
(Spoiler alert: the trade scenarios are not favorable for Atlanta.)