Yesterday Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com tweeted that, while the Red Sox are not in on Braves starting pitcher Jair Jurrjens, the Blue Jays, Orioles, Rockies and Tigers are all interested in the young right-hander. Atlanta has made it known that they are willing to swap some of their starting pitching depth for offense, and Jurrjens’ name has been floated in several trade rumors this offseason.
The Braves have several up-and-coming starters nearing the majors and a projected 2012 rotation containing four SP’s which are 25 years old or younger. This depth would allow Atlanta to move one of its young arms in an effort to bolster its offense.
Of all of Atlanta’s starters, Jurrjens has created the most trade buzz this offseason. The 25-year-old logged 152 innings last season for the Braves while maintaining a 2.96 ERA and 1.224 WHIP. Over his five major league seasons, Jurrjens has a career ERA of 3.40 and 1.284 WHIP.
While these numbers are impressive, especially given Jurrjens age, many teams are concerned about his durability. Jurrjens has struggled with knee issues in the past and had his 2011 season cut short due to injury.
Still, several clubs have shown interest in the right-hander this offseason. The Braves were discussing sending Jurrjens to the Orioles in a trade that would net Atlanta young center fielder Adam Jones. These talks have since cooled, but the rumors surrounding Jurrjens haven’t.
In addition to the O’s, the Red Sox, Blue Jays, Rangers, Tigers and Rockies have all been linked to Jurrjens at some point this offseason. Now, Heyman hears that the Tigers, Blue Jays, Oriole and Rockies are the teams that remain in-play for Jurrjens.
Carlos Collazo of FanSided MLB’s Braves site, Tomahawk Take, recently wrote an article examining what Atlanta should do with their bevy of young arms.