What does the trade market look like for Julio Teheran and do the Atlanta Braves have options?
Why would the Atlanta Braves want to get rid of Teheran?
Because his position in the rotation needs to be upgraded.
In my eyes, Teheran has moved from the #1 starter in the Braves rotation to the #3 spot due to Newcomb and Folty, or even the #4-#5 spot with the presence of Brandon McCarthy and Aníbal Sánchez.
The Braves need better pitching, and I think the first step for them to take is to get rid of Julio Teheran. A few good games out of Teheran could increase his trade value similar to how in 2017, the Atlanta Braves played Jaime García vs the Dodgers on July 21 before trading him away. This was done a week before the trade deadline in theory to boost García’s trade value. We could see something like that with Teheran before the trade deadline, or we could not. It’s all up to the new front office.
But one question I think that is important to ask yourself when thinking about departing with Teheran is this: Do you think Teheran is going to be a career-long Atlanta Brave?
My answer is no.
Teheran does better at other ballparks, and I think it’s about time for Teheran to see how he can maintain his career with another big league club. The only potential lifelong Brave that I see currently on the team is Freddie Freeman. I want to say the same thing about Ozzie Albies or Ronald Acuña, but things happen and the future is unforeseeable.
Here is a scenario to think about: Some pitchers pitch poorly with a ball club they’ve been with for a long time, and once traded away they pitch phenomenally well with a different club. I think this situation absolutely applies to Julio Teheran!
A decent example of this would be Gerrit Cole. He had a combined ERA just over four with the Pirates in 2016 and 2017. Now he is with the Astros making a case for AL MVP and or Cy Young with a 2.20 ERA, 0.833 WHIP, 116 strikeouts and a 12.8 K/9 through 12 games this season.
Teheran has the potential AND the ability to turn his performance around, but I think that just won’t happen until he is in another uniform.
Maybe once he returns from the DL, he will have a new grace and enlightenment about him and his play style. Maybe.
Who could Teheran be upgraded for?
In addition to the speculation of Chris Archer or Marcus Stroman, the Atlanta Braves could also be contenders in the newly speculated sweepstakes of Jacob deGrom or Noah Syndergaard.
The Mets recently announced that if they continue to lose, they will be willing to listen to trade offers for both deGrom and Thor.
Now that just got interesting!
#Mets would listen to offers for Jacob deGrom, Noah Syndergaard if losing continues, report says. https://t.co/SOvu7llgeE pic.twitter.com/z0EzbiPatA
— WFAN Sports Radio (@WFAN660) June 7, 2018
This isn’t to take away from the possibility of Luiz Gohara, Mike Soroka, or even Kolby Allard filling Teheran’s spot in the rotation assuming a trade. But if Atlanta is planning to form a contenting rotation for 2019, here are some things to consider:
Brandon McCarthy and Aníbal Sánchez are going to be free agents once the 2018 season ends. The chance that Atlanta re-signs either of these two is minuscule. Assuming Atlanta keeps Teheran, the rotation for 2019 with no additions other than in-house could look something like: Folty, Newcomb, Teheran, Soroka, Gohara/Allard.
Atlanta is going to need a pitcher that can lead the rotation. This feeling differs from person to person, but I don’t feel comfortable having Folty or Newcomb being the “leaders” of the rotation just yet. I think Atlanta should bring in a solidified starting pitcher who could be lights out and lead the rotation. Atlanta needs an established pitcher in the rotation that can lead, not a player or players that are learning how to lead.
What are the chances the Mets trade one of their top starters to a fellow NL East team?
The chances are highly unlikely.
Why would the Mets trade one of their top starters to a team they will face on a consistent basis? Wouldn’t that essentially be the Mets setting themselves up to get beat?
The Mets have made questionable decisions in the past, but I don’t think the Mets would do something like this to themselves. Atlanta could make interesting offers to New York, but most offers would likely be declined.
The only way Atlanta could realistically acquire Thor or deGrom is if they overpay, which is something the Atlanta Braves have no business doing in my opinion.
However, an argument for overpaying can be made as well. With a farm like Atlanta’s, they can overpay for an upgrade and still be in a great position.
The Braves could be required to overpay in a trade due to the sheer amount of talent in their farm system, specifically pitching talent. Not every pitching prospect is going to make it to the big leagues, and not every pitching prospect is going succeed at the big league level.
By looking at the large amount of pitching talent on the verge of making it to the big league club, you can see that the Braves just don’t have enough room for all of them. Some prospects will either have to get traded, or stay in the minor leagues, and the toughest decision that Alex Anthopoulos has to make is deciding who should stay, and who should go.
Trading within a division is extremely tough though and especially with a huge rival.
Next: Atlanta Braves select power pitchers Jake Higginbotham Nolan Kingham
All in all, Julio Teheran is a great pitcher despite his recent poor performances. He has some problems he needs to work through, but I think his tenure with the Atlanta Braves is coming to an end. And that “end” could be sooner than some of us think.
The Braves could look to add a rotation piece by the trade deadline, and that addition could be from a NL Rival despite the small chances of a trade of that nature happening.
**written by Dalton Skaggs**