Braves are ‘keeping close tabs on’ $40 million pitcher to strengthen rotation

The Atlanta Braves are off to a promising start in 2024.

As of May 20, they were 26-16 and behind the Philadelphia Phillies by five games in the National League East. Although the July 30 trade deadline is more than two months away, the Braves are keeping an eye on starting pitcher Zach Eflin in case the Tampa Bay Rays make him available.

Bob Nightengale of USA Today raised the prospect in his May 19 notes column. “Atlanta is keeping a close eye on Tampa Bay Rays veteran starter Zach Eflin if they decide they need another starter at the trade deadline,” he stated.

It is still unclear whether the Rays would sell at the deadline, but it is more likely in 2024 than in 2023. They have a 25-23 record, which puts them eight games behind first place in the American League East. They are also tied with the Minnesota Twins for the last AL Wild Card position. However, one cold spell at the wrong time during the next several months may force them to begin preparing for 2025.

A Look at the Braves’ Current Rotation Mix & How Eflin Can Help

Chris Sale was added to the Braves’ starting rotation in an offseason trade. He has dominated the first 49.2 innings, with a 2.54 ERA and 0.89 WHIP. Adding him to the mix has been crucial given Spencer Strider is out for the year.

Charlie Morton, Max Fried, Bryce Elder, and Reynoldo Lopez are the remaining current starters, according to FanGraphs’ Roster Resource. Atlanta’s rotation ERA is slightly outside the top ten (3.63 before games began on May 20). Elder is the only probable weak link. He has a 6.46 ERA in 23.2 innings. His predicted ERA of 5.24 implies that he is not experiencing a lot of poor luck.

This season, Eflin has a 4.12 ERA and 1.17 WHIP after 10 starts and 59 innings. That ERA appears to be a little high, but according to FanGraphs, his predicted ERA is 3.54. While his strikeout percentage has decreased since 2023 (from 26.5% to 17.9%), Eflin’s walk rate has increased from 3.4% to 1.6%.

He’s also coming off a strong 2023 performance. Eflin finished 16-8 with a 3.50 ERA, 1.03 WHIP, and 186 strikeouts in 177.2 innings. That output helped him finish sixth in the AL Cy Young Award voting. The 30-year-old would make a valuable addition to Atlanta’s rotation. He is also signed through 2025, according to a three-year, $40 million contract he signed with Tampa in December 2022.

Will Atlanta Keep Its Streak of NL East Dominance Alive in 2024?

For a long time, the Braves were the NL East’s best team. However, with well over a quarter of the 2024 regular season completed, their present streak of dominance is being tested.

Atlanta has won six consecutive division championships since 2018. While this has resulted in only two participation in the National League Championship Series, it does include a World Series victory in 2021.

Despite an early deficit in the standings, the club has demonstrated why leaping to conclusions is a bad thing. They were 10.5 games behind the New York Mets at the start of June in the 2022 season. Manager Brian Snitker’s team then roared back to win the division, ending 101-61. So they still have plenty of time to run.