Atlanta Braves: The Julio Teheran question

Atlanta Braves pitcher Julio Teheran had another quality start against the Colorado Rockies as the trade deadline looms near. Will he remain with Atlanta or will they use him to acquire more players?

For the Atlanta Braves, right-handed pitcher Julio Teheran is currently the best thing going for them as the trade deadline approaches. While his 3-8 record is not stellar, with seven shut-out innings on Sunday against the Colorado Rockies, his ERA is now 2.79 with a .095 WHIP.

Recently, Teheran has been at the height of the trade rumor circuit. As he continues to impress with each performance, the interest should continue to grow as the trade deadline nears on August 1st.

Despite the rumors, Atlanta Braves general manager John Coppolella is confident that Teheran won’t be going anywhere. In an effort to discredit the rumors in an interview with The Atlanta Journal-Constitution he simply stated, “No. We aren’t trading Julio.” When asked about the trade rumors, Teheran had some thoughts of his own.

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VIA David O’Brien of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution:

"“It feels weird, because I signed with the Braves and I wanted to stay my whole career with them,” said Teheran, in the third season of a six-year, $32.4 million contract extension that includes a seventh-year option. “But I know that (a trade) can happen and it’s out of my control. I just try not to think about it. Just try to concentrate on what I can control — every five days get ready and be healthy to pitch, and the other things will take care of themselves.”Asked about the possible “excitement” of being traded to a playoff contender, Teheran smiled and said, “It’s exciting, but I don’t really think about being traded and being in the postseason. Obviously I want to be in the postseason, but I want to be with the team that I signed with, that I’m on right now.”"

Where have we heard this before? How about the Atlanta Hawks? When the Hawks were asked whether or not they would be re-signing long time favorite Al Horford, they too said he wasn’t going anywhere. Re-signing Horford was one of their top priorities. Until it wasn’t. Once the offers came in, it seemed to change the process.

Though the Atlanta Braves seem set on keeping Teheran, will this scenario have a similar ending? Hopefully not. His contract and situation is completely different from Al Horford’s. Compared to Horford, Teheran has a much more affordable contract and presents a lot of opportunity at just 25 years old.

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On the other hand, if the Atlanta Braves were to have a change of heart before the trade deadline, they could possibly add a few players to their roster that aren’t just considered “prospects.” While it seems unlikely that the Braves will be willing to trade Teheran, as the deadline quickly approaches, will they be able to resist temptation?