The Atlanta Braves are pursuing starting pitching. That is the wrong move.
Heading into this weekends four game set in Philadelphia against the worst team in baseball, rumors are circling around the league about what trades will be made, and who will steal the spotlight. One of the hottest trade rumors surrounding the Atlanta Braves is their hot pursuit of Oakland Athletics ace, Sonny Gray.
According to Steve Adams of MLB Trade Rumors, the Braves have scouted Gray the most out of anyone in the league. Adams adds that although they’ve scouted him the most, they are not believed to land him. After dealing Jaime Garcia to the Minnesota Twins for 19 year old prospect Huascar Ynoa, it has been noted that the reasoning behind the trade was to create room in case of an acquisition of Gray.
With the trade deadline only a few days away, it’s imperative the Braves resist the urge to go and trade for a starting pitcher. You may ask yourself, why not trade for Gray? The answer is simple. This offseason, Coppy and the front office have a plan, and that plan is to make moves regarding starting pitching. Would Sonny Gray, arguably one of the better pitchers the Athletics have had over the last decade, be an incredible addition to this rotation? Absolutely.
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Just imagine this starting rotation: Julio Teheran, Mike Foltynewicz, Sonny Gray, R.A Dickey, and either Sean Newcomb or the next top prospect up for the Braves. This rotation gives me goosebumps, not only because of the star power alone, but how much they would keep this offense is games late. The reason 2017 was not a “first to worst” scenario is simply because the starting pitching and the bullpen have blown leads late in the game, and believe me I’m pointing at Jim Johnson.
One of the largest benefits of not trading for another arm is the organization can just go and sign one this offseason, which won’t force the Braves hand in giving away some of the top prospects. This organization has endured misery for too long to just throw it all away on a pitcher who may or may not stick around in Atlanta for years to come.
According to Bleacher Report, the Braves have the top rated farm system in the big leagues, and that alone is an incredible feat. With players the likes of Ozzie Albies, Ronald Acuna, and Cristian Pache, the Braves will contend for the next decade if managed correctly. If baseball has taught us anything recently Braves Country, it’s that to compete for a World Series consistently you have to endure the hard times. But, the hard times seem to be almost over, and with that we all know what comes next.