MLB rumors: 5 favorites to trade for Reds pitcher Luis Castillo
By Tim Boyle
4) MLB rumors: Atlanta Braves could seriously use a boost from Luis Castillo
The greatest need for the Atlanta Braves is to get their starting lineup going. Along with this, they could use a starting pitcher. The starting rotation has hardly been the weakest part of their World Series hangover. It has also not been a strength of theirs.
Charlie Morton looks like he has regressed, and Ian Anderson has seen his struggles as well. The club currently has no obvious answer for the fifth spot in the rotation. They’ve tried a variety of players to round out the rotation with Bryce Elder getting the most starts at four. They have been waiting for Mike Soroka to make his season debut. In the meantime, the players who have been healthy are not able to overcome the team’s offensive struggles.
Castillo would be a nice pitcher nearing 30 for the Braves to rent for a season and a half. Many of their pitchers have minor league options left. Members of the bullpen do too, or they are potential DFA candidates, anyway. The main point: the Braves have no roster crunch to prevent them from adding a starting pitcher like Castillo to the rotation.
Something is dead with the Braves this year. Maybe it truly is that the excitement has worn off with most of the players who were around last year. They were able to turn things around in a major way at last year’s trade deadline by adding bats. This season, along with some sticks, an arm like Castillo should be something to scout.