Vaughn Grissom and 2 more assets Braves can flip for stars at the trade deadline

Braves rumors: Should Atlanta trade Jared Shuster?

Jared Shuster is the top prospect in the Atlanta Braves farm system for a reason. He’s an elite left-handed pitching prospect on the precipice of being a regular in the major-league rotation.

Shuster started this season in the big leagues after an impressive spring training and a series of injuries to the Braves rotation, including Kyle Wright and Max Fried. However, he made just two starts and registered an ERA over eight. Shuster struggled to find the strike zone and was quickly figured out by major-league hitters. Since his return to Triple-A Gwinnett, Shuster has looked more like his old self, even throwing six no-hit innings on Sunday.

However, Atlanta doesn’t necessarily want to slow that progression by calling Shuster back up to the big leagues, which is why he’ll remain in Triple-A for the time being. Having Shuster in the minors will also do wonders for his trade value, especially if he continues to put up elite numbers. As a top pitching prospect with major-league experience, Shuster could be included in any package for an All-Star level talent if required.

The Braves haven’t been shy about trading away prospect capital in recent years. Atlanta dealt Cristian Pache, Drew Waters, Shea Langeliers and more the last two seasons. They could do so again with Shuster, especially if they can acquire an attainable asset for years to come. As great as Shuster may be, Anthopoulos is all about guarantees.