Braves Rumors: Charlie Morton uncertainty, Ronald Acuña's promise, trade chip

Braves Rumors: A potential trade chip could surprise fans

The Atlanta Braves season ended in disappointment, so Alex Anthopoulos knows he has some work to do. While the Braves should be plenty active in free agency in hopes of improving their pitching staff, bullpen and outfield, Anthopoulos is always good for a surprising trade or two every offseason. Look no further than the deals for Matt Olson and Sean Murphy the past two winters.

So, if Anthopoulos were to make a similar trade this offseason, who could he deal away? per Joel Reuter of Bleacher Report, Michael Soroka is an intriguing trade chip the Braves should consider shopping:

"Soroka made just three starts the following year before missing the entire 2021 and 2022 seasons rehabbing an Achilles injury, and he spent much of the 2023 season at Triple-A Gwinnett while struggling in limited MLB action...A contending Braves team can’t count on him to hold down a rotation spot, and despite his middling performance last year, they might be able to flip him for a useful MLB piece to a team that thinks he could bounce back another year removed from his injury."

Soroka is a fan favorite in Atlanta because of his tough recovery from injury. He didn't pitch for the better part of two big-league seasons, and finally made his comeback attempt in 2023. Trading him might create some waves in the fanbase, but it's worth it to improve in areas of need. Soroka, at his best, was an All-Star caliber starting pitcher. He will not get the opportunity to make that impact in a crowded Braves rotation.