The Atlanta Braves are expected to be without Max Fried and Kyle Wright until late July at the earliest. Who could they trade for?
Alex Anthopoulos is a smart general manager. He's unlikely to overpay for a rental option, especially at pitcher. Hurlers are unpredictable, for the most part. Look no further than Atlanta's organization.
Before the season, the Braves pitching depth was considered among the best in the sport. Since then? Injuries to Fried, Wright, Ian Anderson and more have put the Braves in a bind.
However, rental pitchers can play their role in a late-season playoff push. Atlanta, currently leading the NL East by a stable margin, certainly fits that mold. Trade season is still a few months away, but the outlook of who will buy and which teams will sell is already starting to form.
With that in mind, here are some very, very early rental options for the Braves come late July, assuming they still need pitching help at that juncture.
Braves rental target: Rich Hill is too good to pass up
Prior to Wednesday's outing against the Detroit Tigers, I suggested Hill would be a great veteran fit in Atlanta:
"Pittsburgh's real competitive window isn't far from now, so their potential fire sale is very limited. Rich Hill, an aging pitcher on an expiring contract, is a perfect candidate. Hill has a 4.35 ERA and while his velocity is limited, still has the breaking stuff combined with pitcher IQ to be a capable back-of-the-rotation option for a contender."
I wrote that knowing full and well that Hill was pitching on Wednesday, and that he could very well fall flat on his face. Instead, he shut out the Detroit Tigers.
Hill is in his 40's, and for all we know could be in his final run as an MLB pitcher. What better way to go out than on a team which has a real chance at making a World Series run?
Hill started on Opening Day for Pittsburgh, and has been a great resource for their young pitching staff. Ben Cherington made the right call signing him to an $8 million contract this offseason, and he'll likely make the right decision to trade him at the deadline. The Pirates won't re-sign Hill after the season. He's a rental.
Braves Rumors: Trade for White Sox starter Mike Clevinger
The point of any rental trade is that it should be low-cost. The Chicago White Sox have other potential deals on their mind, including potentially Lucas Giolito and more. Mike Clevinger, at the back end of their rotation, had some off-field issues this offseason (since cleared up, we think), and has pitched well enough to earn a spot on the back end of pretty much any contender's rotation.
Enter the Braves, who need just that. FanSided's Robert Murray pitched Clevinger as a likely trade target this summer:
"On the surface, Clevinger's numbers — 4.79 ERA and 35/18 strikeout-to-walk ratio — aren't that impressive. But he has allowed three or less runs in five of his eight starts, with his ERA inflated by a six-run appearance against the Toronto Blue Jays on April 25. He may not fetch much in a trade, especially being on a contract year, but could help a contender in need of rotation depth."
Clevinger isn't the pitcher we thought he was with the Cleveland Guardians and then San Diego Padres, at least not right now. But he can still bring value to a Braves rotation that — behind Charlie Morton, Spencer Strider and Bryce Elder — doesn't bring a whole lot to the table at the moment.
While he has a mutual option at the end of this season, Clevinger will likely test the free-agent market if he has any sort of success.
Braves Rumors: Eduardo Rodriguez is a high-price rental
Eduardo Rodriguez is a rental in the sense that he can opt out of his contract after this season. Assuming he continues to pitch like this, he will do just that and command a hefty deal on the free-agent market.
That, at least, is what the argument will be when the Tigers demand a huge haul in return to E-Rod, who suffered a defeat to the Pittsburgh Pirates on Wednesday.
Rodriguez has been a great comeback story for the Detroit Tigers this season. Scott Harris is no fool, though, and knows this MoTown team is nowhere close to being a real contender. Harris knew what he was getting himself into, and despite hanging around in a middling AL Central, the Tigers need a few more pieces in the prospect cupboard before they can count themselves as a contender.
This is the team Harris inherited, and he has already left his mark on it. Harris revamped the Tigers scouting department, and you can bet they've watched a few games in Triple-A Gwinnett already. When the Braves come calling, the Tigers will know exactly who to target.
Assuming the Braves and Tigers can negotiate a fair price, Rodriguez would be an excellent addition to an already-strong pitching staff, especially once Fried and Wright return. That's a pretty major if, though.
