Top Atlanta Braves Storylines To Watch Before The Trade Deadline
The Atlanta Braves currently lead the the NL East Division, and have for a while. With just over a month until the MLB Trade Deadline, here are a few of the emerging storylines.
When Atlanta began its rebuild in 2015, they envisioned Julio Teheran as the staff’s ace. He was supposed to lead the core of dominant young pitching.
Fast forward to this season and the Braves are still waiting on Teheran to put it all together.
In 2016, Teheran looked as though he was coming into his own. He posted a 3.21 ERA, minimized walks to two per game, and gave up the fewest hits he has allowed in a full season. All he lacked was consistent offensive support.
A new stadium in 2017 set Teheran back. On the road, Teheran looked similar to his 2016 self. At home, however, Teheran seemed to implode. Batters hit .272 off of him at Suntrust (they hit .242 on the road). More extra base hits, home runs and walks created more problems for Teheran. His struggles resulted in a 5.86 ERA at home.
This season, his home numbers have shown improvement. He had a rough April, but bounced back in May and June. He’s giving up fewer hits overall and has brought his ERA below 4. He has pitched at the level any team would be happy with for a three starter.
That’s the problem. Teheran was supposed to be the number one man in the rotation. Mike Foltynewicz and Sean Newcomb are poised to pass him in the rotation.
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Part of the problem could be that SunTrust doesn’t accommodate his style of pitching. While Turner Field was more of a pitcher’s park, SunTrust leans the other way. Teheran tends to create more fly-balls when batters make contact with his pitches. The amount of fly-balls that turn into home-runs and extra base hits could be getting into Teheran’s head. He still pitches better on the road than at home, which is not a good sign for the Braves.
It could be best for the Braves to deal Teheran. A fresh start with another team could rejuvenate Teheran’s career. The Braves could acquire pieces for either this season or the future.
The question is what kind of market does Teheran have. Several teams will be looking to add an arm to bolster their rotations as they make playoff pushes. The Braves, however, are one of those teams. Why would they surrender a promising young arm to a potential playoff opponent?
I think Teheran will stay with the Braves until the offseason. But there is a slim chance that he does move. If Atlanta is offered just the right package of young talent combined with a reliable bullpen arm, could they make the move?
Then again, if he pitches magnificently after the all-star break, all his SunTrust woes could be forgiven.
Teheran’s future could hinge on how he pitches over the next weeks, even if that future doesn’t come to fruition until after the season.