The Braves are finally starting to look like themselves again after that nightmarish 0-7 start to the season. They’ve gone 10-7 since, but their biggest concern isn’t the record — it’s their starting rotation that’s falling apart just three weeks into the season.
Spencer Strider made exactly one start before landing back on the IL with a hamstring strain. Reynaldo López could be sidelined until late summer. And Chris Sale, last year’s Cy Young winner, has struggled badly in the early going.
At some point, Atlanta will likely need to add another arm to this rotation. What if that arm belongs to another former Cy Young winner from within the NL East?
Zach Pressnell of Newsweek suggested Wednesday that the Braves could swing a bold trade for Marlins ace Sandy Alcantara, the unanimous 2022 Cy Young winner who’s working his way back after missing 2023 following Tommy John surgery.
“It seems unlikely the Marlins would look to trade their superstar ace to a division rival, but Miami is so far away from contending that Alcantara will likely be out of his prime by the time it matters to them,” Pressnell wrote.
“This trade would give the Braves a trio of Strider, Alcántara, and Spencer Schwellenbach going forward. A resurgence from Chris Sale that sees him return to his 2024 form would mean the Braves would have the best rotation in baseball.”
Alcantara’s return hasn’t exactly gone according to plan so far. The 29-year-old has a 6.56 ERA through his first five starts, though it was encouraging to see him complete six innings for the first time this season in Miami’s loss on Wednesday.
The Braves can afford to wait and see before deciding whether to pursue Alcantara, who’d command a significant prospect package in any deal. But if they don’t pull the trigger on him, they better have a viable backup plan ready.
