The Atlanta Braves lost Max Fried to the New York Yankees in the summer. They have a plenty of attacking skill and need to develop a rotation to supplement it. The Braves did not appear to be interested in signing Corbin Burnes. They may, however, use the trading market to replace Fried. Newsweek’s Drew VonScio offered this trade to acquire Steven Matz from the St. Louis Cardinals.
Braves get left-handed starter Steven Matz. Cardinals get right-handed pitchers Drue Hackenberg and Garrett Baumann.
“This trade would give the Braves another left-handed pitcher for their rotation while the Cardinals would get two pitchers who could help them in the future,” he wrote. “Matz’s price tag should be reasonable for the Braves who are looking to compete with the New York Mets and Philadelphia Phillies for the National League East.”
Matz signed a four-year $44 million contract in 2021. The Cardinals want to become younger and rebuild. It is possible to dump Matz and his contract. Matz suffered a back issue that limited him to just 12 games last season. In 2023, he had a 3.86 ERA across 25 games. He made 17 starts that season.
The 33-year-old has a 4.29 career ERA and might be a valuable addition to the Braves’ backend rotation. The experienced lefty is not quite the same as Fried, but he might assist fill in while other members of the staff step up. The Braves should also get Spencer Strider back, who may serve as Fried’s immediate replacement in the rotation.
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