Atlanta Braves: 3 trade deadline targets we should be scouting

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OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA – MAY 15: Frankie Montas #47 of the Oakland Athletics pitches against the Los Angeles Angels in the top of the first inning at RingCentral Coliseum on May 15, 2022 in Oakland, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) /

Atlanta Braves deadline targets: Frankie Montas

Like I stated earlier, the Atlanta Braves could use a rotation arm. Frankie Montas arguably broke out last year having finally pitched as a starter for a full season, while having solid results.

Montas makes sense from a business standpoint. He is a free agent in 2024, so the Atlanta Braves would have team control for approximately a season and a half. He also would not require a bounty in return like a player that still has more years of team control left. Montas will not cost a lot of money being in the arbitration phase of his career.

The Athletics already made a trade with the Braves this off-season, so there is a chance that the front offices have built a solid relationship, even if Cristian Pache is struggling at the plate.

It is obvious that Montas would be an upgrade over the 5th starter options for the Braves, even with his league average ERA+ of 100.

What is more, his underlying metrics show that he is due for some major progression. His Statcast peripherals are fantastic:

Chase Rate – Top 6%
Expected ERA (xERA) – Top 22% of the league
Expected Weighted On Base Average against (xwOBA) – Top 22%
Expected Batting Average against (xBA) – Top 23%
Strikeout Rate – Top 25%
Expected Slugging against (xSLG) – Top 29%
Walk Rate – Top 33%

The Braves could easily make a trade with these numbers in mind. It is pretty obvious that Alex Anthopoulos at least takes a look at underlying metrics based on his trade for Jorge Soler in 2021.

Even without peripherals, some of his on-field numbers are promising. His strikeout/walk ratio is a full .60 points higher than last season when he came in 6th in Cy Young votes, and his FIP is a full .25 points lower than his ERA.

Of course, no trade is guaranteed, and it depends on what the Atlanta Braves are willing to offer, but Montas could be a great addition to the Atlanta Braves rotation if the Athletics are willing to accept what the Braves are offering.

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