2 Braves trade rumors we hope are true, 1 we hope doesn’t happen
By Mark Powell
Braves Rumors: Don’t trade for Justin Verlander
Was it hilarious that the Braves checked in on Mets ace Justin Verlander? Absolutely. Does he make any team that acquires him better? Sure.
But that team should not be the Atlanta Braves. If anything, Atlanta should hope New York receives an underwhelming return from some team outside of the NL East.
Verlander still has at least one more year left on his deal. On the other side of 40 years old, he’ll cost some top prospect capital, something the Braves have very little of. Dealing a player like AJ Smith-Shawver to the Mets, just as an example, would be tough to bear. Any prospects sent to New York have the opportunity to face Atlanta for years to come. Meanwhile, Verlander has an expiration date of 2024 or (god forbid) sooner should he suffer another serious injury.
Verlander has value for some team, but ideally that team will be outside of Atlanta’s division.
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