3 pitchers Braves need to trade for amid injuries and 1 to stay away from

Braves should stay far away from a Jack Flaherty trade

Given how poorly things have gone in St. Louis, it would not remotely be a shock to see the Cardinals end up as sellers at the trade deadline. If that is indeed the case, then someone like Jack Flaherty, who is in the final year of team control with the Cards and has recently been a bit combative in St. Louis, could be on the block.

Frankly, though, the only teams that would be poking around the Cardinals for pitching help would be desperate clubs that have no real answers at all in the rotation.

Considering that the Braves have the best record in the National League, have pitchers returning from injury eventually, and don’t need to take whatever they can get on the trade market, so to speak, they decidedly don’t fit that bill.

Flaherty has been downright bad this season, posting a 6.18 ERA and 1.73 WHIP over his eight starts, only one of which went down as a Quality Start. Moreover, after dealing with injuries in recent years, his velocity has been way down. And his lack of prowess on the mound has actually been a big reason — among other Cardinals pitchers — for his team’s struggles this season.

There will be Braves trade targets worth pursuing who are available to help with pitching amid the slew of injuries. But Flaherty shouldn’t be considered a viable option.