Braves reportedly have starting pitcher target in mind for trade deadline

The Atlanta Braves are 26-15, second in the entire National League despite middling production from what is normally a historically good offense. As the schedule evens out and Atlanta's hitters get back into a groove, expect the results to follow. This is still a great Braves team and, as their division rivals in Philadelphia have proven twice over, regular season wins only mean so much. The Braves are geared up for the playoffs.

With Ronald Acuña Jr. and Matt Olson on the struggle bus and Austin Riley hampered by injury, Atlanta has leaned heavily on elite pitching to chart their season's successful start. Even with Spencer Strider out of commission, the Braves' bullpen ranks third in ERA (3.35) in the NL, behind only Philadelphia and Los Angeles.

Chris Sale has turned back the clock and looks like a proper ace, while Max Fried has recovered nicely after a slow start to the season. Reynaldo Lopez, meanwhile, is a bona fide Cy Young candidate through a couple months. We will see if that holds, but his 1.34 ERA across seven starts (40.1 innings) is wildly impressive. He's putting together the best season of his career at 30 years old.

And yet, the Braves could look to boost the pitching staff with one or two high-profile additions before the trade deadline. Strider's absence looms large and it's hard to feel great about certain elements of Atlanta's rotation translating to the postseason. There is always a need to insure against more injuries, too, lest the Braves suffer a repeat of last October's collapse.

According to Bob Nightengale of USA Today, the Braves already have a target in mind. While there is no guarantee, he expects Atlanta to target Tampa Bay Rays veteran Zach Eflin "if [the Braves] decide they need another starter."

Braves could target Rays' Zach Eflin to bolster pitching staff at trade deadline

The Rays' fire sale began in the offseason, when the Dodgers acquired Tyler Glasnow and inked him to an appropriately lucrative extension. At 25-22, Tampa is still competitive in the AL East, even if there's noticeable separation between the Rays and the division's alphas in New York and Baltimore. We shouldn't expect the Rays to sell just to sell, but the 30-year-old Eflin is signed to an exceedingly reasonable contract worth $11 million this season and $18 million in 2025. The Braves, meanwhile, have the motivation to get a deal across the finish line.

That spike in salary next season could spook the Rays and the Braves are far more committed to immediate World Series contention. Eflin was excellent in 2023, finishing sixth in AL Cy Young voting, but he's off to a slightly slower start in 2024. His 4.12 ERA is the highest it has been since 2021, when Eflin was a regular Braves foe as a member of the Phillies' rotation.

Atlanta can bank on Eflin coming at a more reasonable price than your standard recent Cy Young candidate in the prime of his career, with multiple years of guaranteed team control. That is the Alex Anthopoulos special. Maybe Eflin doesn't return to last season's peak, but he certainly provides an upgrade over Bryce Elder. The Braves' rotation goes four-strong, with Elder continuing to hover in the realm of mediocrity. Eflin would provide a truly impactful upgrade.

The Braves are equipped with several appealing young pitchers to toss in Tampa Bay's direction. If the Rays want to continue shedding salary and getting younger, well, this sort of deal is clearly on the table.