The Atlanta Braves began the season with a somewhat weakened pitching staff and have yet to make significant improvements. They lost Charlie Morton and Max Fried during the offseason, and Reynaldo López has since been sidelined with a shoulder injury. Although López is expected to return later this year, the Braves might pursue a major trade to bolster their starting rotation. Kerry Miller of Bleacher Report recently proposed that Atlanta could make a big move by trading with the Pittsburgh Pirates for starter Andrew Heaney. “When healthy, the trio of Spencer Strider, Chris Sale, and Spencer Schwellenbach has the potential to be elite,” Miller noted. “However, relying on pitchers like Grant Holmes, AJ Smith-Shawver, and Bryce Elder to round out the rotation isn’t ideal for a team that’s had a rough start to the season.”
The Braves are still expected to be in the playoff race by late July, but they’ll likely be in the market for at least one starting pitcher. Some possible targets include Nick Martinez, Andrew Heaney, and Aaron Civale. Heaney, 33, is in the final year of his contract and is projected by Spotrac to earn a two-year, $21 million deal in free agency next offseason. Given that, the Pirates may look to move him before the deadline. Heaney has started the season strong, allowing just two earned runs over 12 innings in his first two outings. He’s been effective at limiting hard contact and generating plenty of swings and misses. Adding Heaney to the rotation would be a clear upgrade for Atlanta over some of their current starting options.
