Atlanta Braves and the Pitching Trade Market Are Marking Territory

Some teams are ramping up their trade talks; others are trying to lower expectations. Who to believe?

The Braves played a game yesterday in which all parties involved in the pitching trade market probably saw exactly what they wanted to see out of starter Julio Teheran:

Some buyers saw a guy who is coming off the mountain top of some recent performances and looked a lot more like the “average” #2 or #3 starter some think he is.
Some buyers saw a pitcher who couldn’t keep the ball in the park as Todd Frazier hit a home run.
Others saw a pitcher who only gave up one home run – that to a reigning Home Run Derby Champ, no less – and even so, it only barely got out of a hitter-happy park.
The Braves saw a battler who gutted through 6 innings despite being perhaps rushed back into action after an infection – but as usual, he saved the bullpen despite not having his best stuff.

Regardless of your point of view, this was a day in which a lot of trade news came out about pitching:

The Red Sox executed a timely trade for a veteran closer in Brad Ziegler, shortly before learning that Craig Kimbrel will be out for close to 2 months to get a knee surgically repaired.
The Mets are losing players by the day. Matt Harvey, Noah Syndergaard, and Yoesnis Cespedes are the most recent victims. Ken Rosenthal tells us that they have now entered the pitching market.
Bill Shaikin of the LA Times says that the Padres may throw another name into the market: Drew Pomeranz – their best starter so far this season.
Rich Hill is available, but he won’t be cheap. So says Ken Rosenthal in a separate video piece.
The Blue Jays need pitching, but Rosenthal offers that they might try a different approach: trade for a bat (say Jay Bruce) and simply try to out hit the opposition.
Who are the others in biggest need for a starter? Start in Texas… both the Rangers and the Astros. Add the Dodgers, probably the Orioles… but also…
Dave Dombrowski of the Red Sox (you knew we’d get to him) told ESPN.com that the “Red Sox need [a] reliable six-inning pitcher, not necessarily a No. 1-2”.

That statement sounds a lot like an attempt to lower shopping expectations, but frankly, it’s a bit laughable. Everyone knows that the Red Sox need more than that.

Boston starters still can only point to 2 members under a 4.50 ERA. That’s still true if you consider just the past 30 days in isolation… and David Price is still not among that pairing.

Any pitcher they aim to get would need to join Wright and Porcello under a 4.00, and that’s more than simply an innings eater.

In the Hitting Market – One Out, One In

Meanwhile, Dombrowski essentially admitted that teams are asking about prospect outfielder Andrew Benintendi a lot… ‘before moving on to more realistic conversations.’ mmmm-kay.

He also admitted that the starting pitching market is ‘not easy’.

Gee, I wonder why.

While talking about the possibility that Drew Pomeranz might be made available, the Padres told Bill Shaikin (link above) that Wil Myers will not be traded – and they are musing about offering his an extension. He was a player that the Braves were said to have inquired about this year.
The Dodgers appear to be making the most realistic statements at this point. Ken Rosenthal came very close to saying that the Dodgers are putting Yasiel Puig on the trade market… presumably as part of their need to pursue pitching, though Andrew Either’s return might also be on their minds.
Believe it or not, Melvin Upton, Jr. is actually getting the respect of positive trade value. Don’t look for the Braves to get involved here, but if you hadn’t noticed, he’s actually getting back around to the kind of hitter that Atlanta had hoped to get when he signed before the 2013 season: .268/.315/.464/.779 isn’t exactly Mike Trout territory, but Upton does have 16 homers and 20 steals already.

The Braves’ Angles

(All of this feeds from the Rosenthal links)

More from Tomahawk Take

PUIG. This will require extra due diligence, but this could be a bit intriguing. There have been serious concerns about Puig’s clubhouse presence, but he is still under 26 years old and under control through 2019 as affordable rates.

Puig has started slow, but lately has been hitter much better. He sports a .703 season-long OPS, but that’s exploded to .897 in the past month. Could they pry him away for something less than Julio Teheran? Would a change of scenery be enough?

The better question: with Atlanta’s emphasis on player make-up, would they ever want to bring in someone described as “the worst person I’ve ever seen in this game“?

DEREK NORRIS. The Padres Catcher isn’t hitting terribly well, but he does have a better hitting history. He does have age on his side (he’s 27½), he’s cheap, and he’s hit 11 dingers in 275 PAs so far. Seems that San Diego is ready to use Austin Hedges full time, making Norris expendable.

Defensively, he’s caught 30% of would-be base stealers, which is certainly an area of need for the Braves. However, he’s also a RHH, which does not match up well with Tyler Flowers, who is still under contract for another year – and certainly has been good in his own right.

Next: How Long Must We Wait??

The All-Star Break is traditionally a time in which teams take a break and the Front Offices gear up for trade battles. Lately, some trades have come down during the break.

But with all the needs and the talk going on, I don’t believe it’s all bluster. I expect this will be a fairly busy time over the next couple of weeks – early and often.

Home/Braves Rumors