3 pitchers the Braves should trade for with Spencer Strider injured

The Atlanta Braves remain one of baseball's top teams in 2024. They lead the NL East with a record of 6-2.

However, the team has run into a little bit of trouble with Spencer Strider hitting the injured list due to an elbow issue, one that includes damage to his UCL and may require Tommy John surgery.

As a result, the Braves are going to have some work to do between now and the trade deadline, as they will need to add a starter to bolster their rotation. And to make matters worse, Shane Bieber is now out for the season recovering from Tommy John surgery.

Here are three starters that the Braves could target with Strider out.

3. Bryce Miller

If there's any team with a boatload of starting pitching that could help the Braves, it would be the Seattle Mariners.

Seattle has a top three of Luis Castillo, George Kirby, and Logan Gilbert, so they can afford to give up a starter or two if they need some offense.

They also have Emerson Hancock and Bryan Woo who are solid rotation options.

Miller is not an ace yet by any means, but he does have potential. In his first season in the majors, he averaged 9.5 strikeouts per nine innings, so he would bring some swing-and-miss capability to the Braves rotation.

Atlanta has plenty of offense too. They could potentially trade Adam Duvall at the deadline if Jarred Kelenic pans out as the starting left fielder, which would give Duvall a full-time gig with the Mariners having some holes to fill in the outfield.

With the Braves and Mariners both expected to contend, this would purely be a need-for-need swap that works out for both teams, similar to the Luis Arraez-Pablo Lopez trade between the Miami Marlins and Minnesota Twins.

2. Michael Wacha

The Kansas City Royals have made some key improvements this offseason, and signing Michael Wacha helped them bolster their rotation.

But Kansas City has not been in contention since 2017, and it's very possible that they could end up selling at the deadline. This is where Wacha comes into play for the Braves.

Wacha signed with the Royals for one year and $16 million, so the Royals could dangle him as trade bait if they are out of contention. And with him being on an expiring contract, the Braves wouldn't have to give up too much in order to get him.

Wacha broke into the big leagues with the St. Louis Cardinals in 2013 and earned NLCS MVP honors. He has pitched in the postseason before and had plenty of success, so it isn't like the Braves would be picking up somebody who is unproven in big spots.

Last season, Wacha posted a 3.22 ERA with the San Diego Padres and continued his upward trend that began in 2022 when he was with the Boston Red Sox. This would make him an attractive target for the Braves.

With Bieber out for the season, Wacha may end up being one of the best starters available on the trade market.

1. Jesus Luzardo

Trades within a division are incredibly rare, so it would be hard for the Braves to be able to pull this one off.

But even so, with Bieber out for the season, Luzardo may be the best pitcher available on the trade market, especially with the Miami Marlins off to such a bad start this year.

The Marlins could potentially look to trade players very quickly, as their window to bounce back and fight themselves into the postseason race may be closing after their dismal start.

Luzardo pitched 178.2 innings last year, posted a 3.58 ERA, and recorded 208 strikeouts. He would bring swing-and-miss to the Braves rotation that is now partially missing with Strider out.

Given his upside and that the Marlins and Braves are division rivals, this would be no easy trade for the Braves to make, and it might take a significant haul in order to work out for Atlanta.

But at 26, Luzardo still has room to improve and is only getting better.

The Braves are a team that has their sights set on October, and this would be an ideal move for a team looking to win its second title in four years.