3 players Braves should avoid at the trade deadline

After riding mind-bending strikeout stuff to an All-Star game in 2017, Ray’s stock has done nothing but nosedive since then. His Era jumped from 3.93 in 2018 to 4.34 in 2019, and he has mustered a pathetic 7.84 ERA in seven starts. While those numbers on a Diamondbacks team slipping out of contention look unimpressive, as he is leading the league in runs allowed (27) and walks (31), he is still striking out more than a batter an inning, which could get teams interested in him at the deadline.

Atlanta needs to resist the temptation that his stuff can offer them, as it can and will come back to bite them. Part of the problem with both Sean Newcomb and Touki Toussaint, who were both demoted after poor performances, was a lack of control, and trading several prospects for Ray would be a good way to undo all of the progress Atlanta has made in their rotation. Let Ray, a free agent after this year, hit the open market and try to sign him on a one-year “prove it” deal rather than giving up prospects for him.