Braves Rumors: Surprise free agent fits, dark-horse trade target, Acuña Jr. plans
- Ronald Acuña Jr. has set his plans for the offseason
- Braves have a dark-horse trade target in the AL East
- Surprise free agent fits for the Braves in 2023-24
Braves Rumors: Nick Pivetta named a dark-horse trade target
It's without debate that one of the focuses for Alex Anthopoulos and the Braves this offseason is going to be upgrading the depth of the pitching staff, with a heavy emphasis on the rotation. It was something that bit the team a bit in the postseason and now becomes a priority in free agency or on the trade market -- especially if they lose Charlie Morton or any other players on the open market.
There is expected to be a lucrative market in free agency with a bevy of high-end starting pitchers hitting the market, which Atlanta could very well get involved with. However, Anthopoulos has shown a strong affinity for making savvy trades to fill apparent needs, and there might be a cheap-ish deal that could serve the Braves' purposes this offseason.
As proposed by Lindsay Crosby of Braves Today, Boston Red Sox pitcher Nick Pivetta could be a great fit for the Braves and someone that the Sox might be willing to part with for a reasonable price.
Pivetta is entering his final year of arbitration and will likely get somewhere in the projected range of $6-7 million when it's all said and done for the 2024 season. The Red Sox, meanwhile, have a new regime in the front office and will likely be looking to shake things up pretty majorly, specifically with the pitching staff. As such, they could be willing to part with Pivetta for a younger arm or a prospect.
On the mound with Boston, Pivetta's numbers were overall solid, posting a 4.04 ERA and 1.12 WHIP. But he really showed his versatility after a move to the bullpen rejuvenated the 30-year-old right-hander after a bad start. He split time down the stretch, but posted a 3.30 ERA and 0.964 WHIP over the second half of the season.
That's something the Braves could look to pounce on. And for a deal that wouldn't cost the likes of a Vaughn Grissom or a Jared Shuster, it could make a lot of sense in order to bring a versatile piece that could help Atlanta in the 2024 season.