Atlanta Braves fans everywhere were frustrated and saddened by the recent trade of gold glover right fielder Jason Heyward to the St. Louis Cardinals. While most fans disliked that Heyward got traded, that trade has now been an indicator that the Braves should go on and move more players.
You can see that the Braves want to rebuild, but there is still a sense that they could still contend especially if they add another strong pitcher to the rotation.
With that being said, here are some probably free agent signings and trades that Atlanta could make.
Free Agent Signings:
The long shot- Jon Lester
It was very surprising to see that the Braves showed interest in signing ace Jon Lester as he will likely demand very high pay, but there is common interest between both the Braves and Lester. The Braves would instantly have an ace with Lester and could help carry a rotation that is very young with pitchers like Julio Teheran, Alex Wood, Mike Minor, and newly added pitcher Shelby Miller. Atlanta does not have plenty of money to give to Lester, but it is known that Jon Lester appreciates and values family time and he currently resides near the Atlanta area. If Lester takes that into consideration, it could benefit the Braves. Lester finished last season with a 16-11 record and a 2.46 ERA.
The more likely signing- Justin Masterson
Masterson struggled last season as he had an ERA of 5.88, but just a season ago he had a 14-10 record with a 3.45 while he pitched with the Cleveland Indians. This makes a lot of sense, if you look at recent pitchers the Braves have signed like Aaron Harang and Freddy Garcia, they have been able to somewhat revitalize their careers and get productive outings from them. Masterson could be yet another one of those pitchers who the Braves pitching staff could fix.
Trades:
Evan Gattis to the Kansas City Royals for pitching.
After the Kansas City Royals did not resign DH Billy Butler they have shown more interest in acquiring Evan Gattis. This is an interesting case because Justin Upton could also be added to the trade if the deal is right. Kansas City though might see more value in getting Gattis over Upton because Gattis still has four years of control as oppose to Upton’s one year left on his contract. The Braves would love to get a pitcher like Yordano Ventura in return, but that seems very unlikely since the Royals are the American League champs and should continue to contend.
The Ideal Trade- Justin Upton and Evan Gattis to the Seattle Mariners for Taijuan Walker and Michael Saunders.
This is the trade that makes the most sense, the Mariners would acquire not one, but two great right handed hitters which is exactly what they are looking for. Last season the Mariners really suffered with their right handed hitters which is why they are looking for power hitters from the right side of the plate. On the Braves side, they would acquire a young pitcher with great potential in Walker and an outfielder with a lot of talent that has had bad luck with injuries in Michael Saunders. The Mariners have stated that Walker could be traded, while the Justin Upton has taken the Mariners out of the teams who are in his no-trade clause. So in other words, the Braves and Mariners both get what they are looking for.
Photo Credit: Rueters