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Top of the rotation starter a must for Atlanta Braves

By Matthew Browning

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - OCTOBER 15: Gerrit Cole #45 of the Houston Astros celebrates retiring the side during the sixth inning against the New York Yankees in game three of the American League Championship Series at Yankee Stadium on October 15, 2019 in New York City. (Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - OCTOBER 15: Gerrit Cole #45 of the Houston Astros celebrates retiring the side during the sixth inning against the New York Yankees in game three of the American League Championship Series at Yankee Stadium on October 15, 2019 in New York City. (Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images) /
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MIAMI, FL – MAY 01: Corey Kluber #28 of the Cleveland Indians delivers a pitch in the first inning against the Miami Marlins at Marlins Park on May 1, 2019 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Mark Brown/Getty Images)
MIAMI, FL – MAY 01: Corey Kluber #28 of the Cleveland Indians delivers a pitch in the first inning against the Miami Marlins at Marlins Park on May 1, 2019 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Mark Brown/Getty Images) /

Any Surprises?

It happens every year.

Somebody unexpected turns up on the trade market. So the possibilities listed in this section is certainly subject to change.

The Cleveland Indians intend to pick up Corey Kluber’s $17.5 million option, but that does not mean they won’t be open to moving the two-time Cy Young Award winner.

Over the past two seasons, the Indians have cut payroll, so moving on from the 33-year-old Kluber would make sense.

However, Kluber is coming off an injury-riddled campaign where he first broke his right arm, then suffered a strained oblique. It was a lost season, without a doubt.

But in 2018, Kluber went 20-7 with a 2.89 ERA and 5.5 WAR. It would seem certainly possible that he could get back to that level.

The Indians might choose to hang on to Kluber until the Trade Deadline in hopes of increasing his value, which is currently 2.7 on the baseballtradevalues site.

A trade this winter would net the Indians such poor value, it doesn’t make much sense to trade Kluber.

Two More

The next two trade possibilities are a little far-fetched at first glance, but after taking a deeper look, they might make sense.

First is Eduardo Rodriguez of the Boston Red Sox, who is heading to his second year in arbitration.

Last season, Rodriguez went 19-6 with a 3.81 ERA and a 3.7 WAR. In 2018, he went 13-5 with a 3.82 ERA and a 2.1 WAR.

Dave Dombrowski, who drained the Red Sox farm system as General Manager, was fired in Boston, so whoever takes over might want to restock the system. It has already been speculated that Mookie Betts and/or J.D. Martinez could be moved, so why not move Rodriguez, too?

The second name is Charlie Morton, who was originally in the Braves system but was traded in 2009 to Pittsburgh in the Nate McLouth deal.  He’s now a Ray.

Morton was tremendous for the Rays in 2019, going 16-6 with a 3.05 ERA and a 6.1 WAR. He will be on the second year of the 2-year, $30 million deal he signed last offseason. There is also a vesting option for 2021.

Trading Morton would be the kind of move that Tampa Bay usually makes in selling high. The Rays could get a haul for trading the back-to-back All-Star, who turns 36 in November.

There are plenty of young talented arms in the Rays rotation and they are the kind of team that will shop for another Morton-type this offseason if there is an open spot in the rotation.

So what should the Braves do? Up next is the prediction.

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