Spring training exhibition games have not even begun yet, and the Atlanta Braves are being hit with hard injury news. Not even a week into camp, and Atlanta is down both Spencer Schwellenbach and Hurston Waldrep due to loose bodies in their elbow.
Schwellenbach has already undergone surgery, and Waldrep will have a similar procedure on Monday of next week. The initial diagnosis for Schwellenbach is that he will miss about three months, but Walt Weiss is not putting a timeline on either of the Braves starters’ return.
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With other reports indicating that the Braves have not been engaged in the free agency of Chris Bassitt and now Lucas Giolito’s market, the need for a starting pitcher is still very high. While it may not appear on paper that the Braves are desperate for a starter, Atlanta is just subjecting itself to being vulnerable to injuries that can derail their season.
However, Atlanta could head to the trade market to acquire a veteran, durable arm. Here are three players that might be available via trade, and names that Atlanta should pursue:
Toronto Blue Jays’ Jose Berrios
The Toronto Blue Jays have a stacked rotation, which means there might not be room for Jose Berrios, who has been an up-and-down contributor with Toronto. He carries a seven-year, $131 million contract that the Braves would certainly have to take a slice of if they were to trade for Berrios.
GettyJose Berrios gets positive update.
There’s been recent speculation that the Blue Jays might be open to moving Jose Berrios if they can find a suitor who will take on a portion of his contract.
2025 stats: 30 starts, 166 innings, 4.17 ERA, 138 K’s, 4.65 FIP
Pittsburgh Pirates’ Mitch Keller
Mitch Keller comes with a five-year, $77 million contract, which would give the Braves a few years of team control before the contract expires. This is a player the Braves could acquire that would not cost them as much as Jose Berrios. Similar to Berrios, Atlanta might have to take on some of Keller’s contract, but as far as a trade goes, it shouldn’t cost them more than a player like Nacho Alvarez Jr. or maybe a prospect.
The Pirates have a wealth of young starters and are more focused on bringing in right-handed or young hitters to their organization. Recently, the Pirates signed former Brave Marcell Ozuna to a one-year deal.
Mitch Keller’s 2025 stats: 32 starts, 176.1 innings, 15p K’s, 4.02 FIP
Cincinnati Reds’ Brady Singer
The Cincinnati Reds, like the Pirates, have a lot of young starters on their roster, and Brady Singer has emerged as a trade candidate across MLB due to the fact that he’s entering his last season before hitting the open market as a free agent. Singer will likely become the subject of trade rumors throughout the season because of this reason, but Atlanta could get ahead of any other potential suitors entering the mix by making a splash trade for him now.
While the Braves’ farm system isn’t that deep, they do have a few attractive prospects that might help in getting any of these deals done. The real roadblock with all of these players is whether Braves’ GM Alex Anthopoulos is willing to dip into the team’s current roster or farm system to help improve this Braves roster.
Brady Singer’s 2025 stats: 32 starts, 169.2 innings, 163 K’s, 3.98 FIP
You may notice a trend with all three of these starters. The ability to make 30+ starts and pitch 150+ innings is what Atlanta should be looking to add to their current rotation.
3 Starters the Braves Could Trade For After Hurston Waldrep, Spencer Schwellenbach News