It’s hard to say the Atlanta Braves’ season so far has been anything but a disappointment.
Every time the Braves have looked to be close to breaking out of their spell, they’ve lost a few games they could’ve won. At 27-31 entering play on Monday, they’re a distant 5 1/2 games out of playoff position.
There’s a lot of season left, but only two months until the trade deadline. At that point, the Braves will have to make a candid assessment of their prospects for competing during the rest of the season and decide whether to buy or sell.
Either way, one baseball writer believes a certain pitcher is in danger of being moved.
On Sunday, FanSided’s Zach Pressnell named Braves right-handed pitcher Bryce Elder as one of a handful of players who would “be lucky to survive” past the trade deadline, as the Braves look to make some sort of splash.
“In a move for a controllable player, the Braves could trade former top pitching prospect Bryce Elder, preferably to acquire a shortstop, outfielder, or even better pitcher,” Pressnell wrote.
“Elder had an excellent rookie campaign before falling off a cliff last season. He was nearly unpitchable at times, but has rebounded in a big way for the Braves. Because of this, he likely has quite a bit of trade value now compared to last season.”
The 26-year-old Elder had a 3.78 ERA in 31 starts in 2023, making a surprise All-Star appearance. But in 19 major league outings since the start of 2024, his ERA has ballooned to 5.55. He’s also been demoted to Triple-A on multiple occasions.
Because of the season-ending injury to AJ Smith-Shawver, Elder will get at least a few more starts for the Braves at the big-league level for now. How he pitches could not only determine if he stays in the majors, but if the Braves see fit to trade him elsewhere.
