Atlanta Braves starter search should include Zach Plesac
By Fred Owens
The Atlanta Braves search for a starting pitcher continues, even as the number of available pitchers having a season worth of considerations shrinks.
As I was watching MLB Central this morning, Ken Rosenthal reported that the Blue Jays acquired Taijuan Walker from Seattle for a PTBNL (Twitter Link). Walker seemed a nice fit for the Atlanta Braves, and he’s not the only potential match to disappear over the last week.
Yesterday Zach Buchanan reported (Twitter Link) that Arizona’s Merrill Kelly is unlikely to pitch again this year after landing on the IL with a nerve impingement in his right shoulder that later required surgery after they found a blood clot in that shoulder.
Robbie Ray’s having an awful season, as is Mike Minor, who gave up ten runs in his last 9-2/3 IP and Julio Teheran — whose five August starts totaled 17-2/3 innings when he gave up six homers and 18 runs.
Danny Duffy pitches Friday after missing a start due to the dreaded forearm tightness, and Joe Musgrove is on the shelf due to a triceps strain and won’t start again before the deadline.
It makes no sense to trade for a pitcher having an awful year when you need immediate production in the form of innings pitched, and an arm you aren’t afraid to start in the postseason.
Talk of Mike Clevinger seems overblown. If the Indians believe his rollercoaster year on the mound is a hiccup, they aren’t likely to trade him. If they do decide to move him, their needs don’t exactly match what the Atlanta Braves have to offer.
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Their lineup needs an outfielder with a good slash line and some power to help them through the postseason. The Braves player most often associated with a Clevinger trade, Drew Waters, isn’t a match for that need.
However, the Indians do have a pitcher they might trade, which slots nicely into the Braves’ current and future plans: Zach Plesac.