MLB Rumors: 3 pitchers the Braves should sign, 2 they should avoid

2) James Paxton's durability concerns are too great for the Braves to overcome

When James Paxton is healthy, there's no denying his talent. He's been a solid arm throughout his career and even put together some fantastic years in Seattle, but at this point, it's hard to know if he'll be healthy enough to pitch consistently enough to make a deal worthwhile.

Paxton has never made 30 starts in a season and has never thrown more than 160.1 innings in a season. The Braves don't necessarily need him to stay healthy for the regular season, but they have no way of knowing whether he'd even be available come postseason time. That's what the Braves are playing for.

Paxton made a total of six starts from 2020-2022, with none of those starts coming in 2022. He was finally somewhat healthy this past season for Boston making 19 starts, but the way his season unraveled makes him an unattractive Braves target.

His season got off to an excellent start as he had a 2.73 ERA in his first 10 starts, but his last nine outings of the year went in the complete opposite direction. His ERA ballooned to 6.98 in his final nine starts for Boston, raising the question of if he can handle the rigors of being a starting pitcher. He might pitch well to begin his season in 2024, but who knows how good he'll be when the Braves make the postseason. Paxton ending the year on the IL with a knee injury is just another thing to be concerned about.

The upside is certainly there with Paxton. It wouldn't be surprising at all to see him pitch well wherever he ends up. The Braves aren't a team that should be taking a gamble like this when there are better options out there.