3 Braves trade targets that would be immediate team stat leaders

Jordan Montgomery would be second-best pitcher in ERA+

Another one mentioned by my colleague Cody Williams, Jordan Montgomery might be my favorite trade target for the Braves. Not only does he fill a position of need for Atlanta, but he’s a dang good pitcher who hasn’t quite gotten the national notoriety he deserves.

If Monty joined this staff, he would be the second-best pitcher (behind Bryce Elder’s 182) in ERA+ with a 133. Spencer Strider would trail as the third at 130.

That’s a fancy, league-average-adjusted way of saying Montgomery’s 3.23 ERA would be the second-best on the team.

Another key stat: Montgomery would lead the team in walks per nine innings (that is to say he would have the lowest number in that metric) if he were added to the rotation.

Montgomery is not a flashy pitcher. He comes in, pitches well, gets the job done, and often sets his team up to win. He keeps things in the zone and is a rare pitcher to see throw a wild pitch or get himself in trouble with walks. He’s struggled to generate much attention the last two years because in New York, his team gave him no run support, and now this year in a contract season he’s pitching for a Cardinals team that loves to blow leads and lose games.

He just recently left a game due to a hamstring issue, so there’s that possible conundrum the Braves may need to do some due diligence on if they’re truly looking to add him. But stacking him on a rotation that already features Elder, Strider, and Charlie Morton would be a really overwhelming predicament for any opposing team in a playoff series.