Jim Bowden still thinks Braves land star pitcher

The Braves have remained quiet this offseason.

While most of the rumors and reports link the club to pitchers, whether it’s starters or relievers, the outfield is in more desperate need of an addition. Max Fried and Charlie Morton won’t be returning, and the same could be true for Joe Jimenez and A.J. Minter; however, Michael Harris II is the only returning starter from the end of last season.

Ronald Acuna Jr. will still be recovering his ACL injury, and Jarred Kelenic was relegated to a bench role. Even if the plan is to give Kelenic an extended runway to prove he can contribute until Acuna returns, that still leaves one everyday role in need of filling.

Despite that, Jim Bowden of The Athletic is predicting the Braves will replace Max Fried with his high school teammate in Jack Flaherty.

“He’s the best starting pitcher left on the market, apart from Sasaki, and a potential difference-maker for a contending team. But Flaherty’s medical reports are going to determine whether he gets a long-term contract or has to take a similar deal to that of Walker Buehler, who signed a one-year, $21 million contract with the Red Sox.”

This isn’t the first time Bowden has connected the two sides, even if he said he hasn’t heard much connecting the two sides. Flaherty is coming off the best season of his career since he was a 23-year-old with the Cardinals back in 2019.

He posted a 3.17 ERA and 10.8 K/9 between the Tigers and Dodgers, which is the kind of production many believed he’d be capable of earlier in his career. In this incredibly bloated market, Flaherty could be looking at a $100 million deal over four years, which might prove too pricey for the Braves.

But any club signing him would be betting that Flaherty has put the injuries and inconsistencies behind him. He’s still just 29 years old, and the upside is undeniable, but it’s also impossible to ignore the injury history.

He’s accrued more than 1.0 WAR just once since 2019 and could command a lengthy contract. That’s not exactly something the Braves have done in the past, but if Alex Anthopoulos is willing to take a gamble on Flaherty staying healthy, it could prove to be a worthy gamble.

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Photo: David John Griffin/Icon Sportswire