The Atlanta Braves have had a turbulent season since day one, but they had their most concerning day yet earlier this week.
During his Thursday start against the Philadelphia Phillies, standout rookie pitcher AJ Smith-Shawver tore the UCL in his throwing elbow. He’s going to require surgery, possibly Tommy John, and his promising 2025 campaign is officially over.
The Braves already had some injury concerns to juggle with their rotation, most notably Reynaldo López’s months-long absence. But Smith-Shawver going down would seem to sway the odds in favor of adding via trade.
That is, of course, if the Braves have a good enough record by midsummer to justify buying.
On Friday, ClutchPoints’ Zachary Howell came up with a name for the Braves to pursue on the trade market this summer: Baltimore Orioles starter Zach Eflin, whose three-year, $40 million contract expires at the end of the season.
“Eflin could be a target for many teams this summer if Baltimore is willing to trade. The Orioles haven’t begun the turnaround fans expected such a talented roster to have yet, making the idea of a fire sale at the deadline more likely with each passing day,” Howell wrote.
“The Braves already have two ace-level pitchers in Chris Sale and Strider. At this point, their target would be a player who can come in and fill one of the final spots in the rotation. Eflin is a fit if the Braves are willing to pay the price to acquire him.”
Eflin, 31, only has a 4.46 ERA overall this season, but his last start was a gem, with seven scoreless innings against the Chicago White Sox. If he can sustain that momentum, he’ll be one of the most attractive targets in a weak starting pitching pool.
The price for starters has been high in recent years as fewer sellers come to the table with the expanded wild card format. But if the Braves are all-in on making a title run this season, Eflin is certainly a name to watch.
