Atlanta Braves starter search should include Zach Plesac

Atlanta Braves GM Alex Anthopoulos has a history of trading for the future as well as the present, and Zach Plesac fits that mold to a T.

While Plesac pitched at a high-level to start this season, he projects closer to his second half of 2019; a 3.82 ERA, 4.52 FIP, and 1.27 WHIP, with a 7.0 K/9 and a 2.93 BB/9, which, along with his recent bad decisions, might make him available for a reasonable return.

Plesac turns 26 in January, is pre-arb through 2022, and under team control through 2025, which translates to an inexpensive middle of the rotation arm for the foreseeable future; a valuable payroll consideration coming out of this extremely expensive season.

I said earlier that the Indians needed outfield help, and while the Braves don’t have a big name outfielder to trade — but San Francisco does — let’s invite the Giants to this party.

A three-way in August?

Ideally, I’d keep the trade down to just two teams. However, the Indians’ need for the immediate future is outfield help, and that requires a third team.

In theory, the Giants could trade Mike Yastrzemski for Plesac straight up. However, Yastrzemski is 30, and late blooming position-players aren’t known for their longevity, so as Indians GM, I’d want more.

I see the trade working something like this.

• Braves get Zach Plesac and Donovan Solano
• Giants get Patrick Weigel, Touki Toussaint, Kyle Wright, and two minor league outfielders from the Indians.
• Indians get Mike Yastrzemski, Alex Jackson, Scott Schebler

Solano is 32-years-old, and a late bloomer, but he’s hot right now and provides middle infield cover that gets on base and doesn’t strike out often.

That’s a wrap

Computers don’t complete trades, and personal relationships play a part in these deals.  We have no idea how the interpersonal relationship between GMs colors the trade process, other than looking at past deals.

Since arriving in Atlanta, Alex Anthopoulos dealt successfully with Dipoto in Seattle and worked closely with Farhan Zaidi when they were both with the Dodgers. We hear he gets along with his other peers well, but who knows what happens behind closed doors.

When three teams get involved in a deal, the situation becomes very complicated. We don’t know the value teams put on their players or how they see the assets of other teams or what instructions their leadership sees handed down to the chief of baseball operations and GM.

I believe this deal works for all three teams, but I also think it’s a complex discussion for such a short, challenging season. I expect the Atlanta Braves to make a deal and one that no one’s mentioned so far. Maybe I just killed this one by writing about it; who knows?