A week ago, starting pitching didn’t look like much of a need for the Braves. That’s changed with the uncertainty surrounding Max Fried after he was placed on the IL with a forearm injury. The Braves could use some insurance when it comes to the rotation, and it would be wise to target an option with multiple years of control, given Fried is a free agent at the end of the season, Charlie Morton is expected to retire, and Spencer Strider will be coming off his second Tommy John surgery.
Even before the Fried injury, the Braves were connected to Rays starting pitcher Zach Eflin by multiple MLB insiders. The latest being Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times.
“The Rays have been open to trading from their rotation this year and could do so again, with right-hander Zach Eflin one of the possible candidates,” writes Darragh McDonald of MLB Trade Rumors. “Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports that the Astros, Braves and Cardinals are ‘among the teams expected to have strong interest’ in the righty.
The Rays aren’t fully in the seller camp as they are currently 51-51 and just 4.5 games back of a playoff spot. However, their rotation health has improved as the season has gone along and given them a relative surplus. That has allowed them to explore deals that either address another area of the roster, bolster the prospect depth, save some money or some combination of those goals.”
After a relatively underwhelming first seven seasons with the Phillies, Eflin inked a three-year, $40 million contract with the Rays, where his career really took off last season. He posted a 3.50 ERA and 9.4 K/9, good enough for a sixth-place finish in the AL Cy Young race.
This season, Eflin’s second with the Rays, hasn’t been quite as successful. He owns a 4.09 ERA with a 7.1 K/9, but his 3.65 FIP does suggest he’s been a bit unlucky.
At this point in his career, Zach Eflin is what he is. He’s not an All-Star caliber pitcher, but he’s better than an innings eater that does one thing very well, throw strikes. Eflin will not replace Max Fried, but he’s a nice insurance policy for this season and could certainly provide similar production to Charlie Morton next season, helping to ease some of the Braves future rotation concerns.
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Photo: Brandon Sloter/Icon Sportswire
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