While the Atlanta Braves have already signed veterans R.A. Dickey and Bartolo Colon this offseason, they are not done pursuing starting pitching. According to Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports, Atlanta is considering another free agent, but also exploring trade options for Sonny Gray of the Oakland Athletics, Chris Sale of the Chicago White Sox and Chris Archer of the Tampa Bay Rays.
Heard same as @mlbbowman: #Braves looking at #Athletics’ Gray as well as #WhiteSox’s Sale, #Rays’ Archer. Also could sign third FA starter.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) November 15, 2016
If the Braves are looking for a top-tier starter, it will likely have to come via a trade. The free agent market does have some good middle of the rotation guys. Unfortunately, not many of those pitchers would be a No. 1 or No. 2 starter on a championship-caliber team.
Though, the three names bandied about in this report are completely different stories.
Sale is a handful, but is clearly one of the game’s best pitchers. Gray and Archer are coming off of down years, but both pitchers (along with Sale) finished in the top five in American League Cy Young voting in 2015. Any one of those pitcher paired with Julio Teheran would make a formidable 1-2 punch for Atlanta.
The downside, of course, is that none of those guys would be cheap to acquire. History says that the cost would likely be a handful of prospects, including some who are close to the majors. Pulling the trigger on a trade like that is always tough but for a team like Atlanta, it’s even more difficult.
The Braves did improve through 2016, but still finished the season as one of baseball’s worst teams with a 68-93 mark. Trading for one of these pitchers would certainly make the rotation better. Unfortunately, it would also likely cost Atlanta at least a few players from the core that could help them get back into contention.
That’s always a dilemma, but is an even bigger leap of faith for a team like the Braves.