3 pitchers Braves need to sign after solving left field crisis

Now that the Braves have filled their hole in left field, they must address their starting rotation.

The Atlanta Braves made a savvy move, taking on salary in order to acquire former Mets top prospect Jarred Kelenic. With Eddie Rosario a free agent Atlanta needed to bolster their left field spot and did so with Kelenic, a player with five years of control and all the potential in the world.

Atlanta might’ve added money in this deal, but they plan on shipping Marco Gonzales away and are also paying Kelenic the minimum. This means they still have money to invest in their biggest need of all, the starting rotation.

Four of the five spots in Atlanta’s rotation are filled with Spencer Strider, Max Fried, Charlie Morton, and Bryce Elder, but Atlanta could really use another arm to bolster their staff not only in 2024, but for the future. Fried is a free agent at the end of the season, Morton is on the brink of retirement, and Elder’s poor second half makes him an unreliable arm.

While a pair of their top targets in Aaron Nola and Sonny Gray are off the board, there are several other arms Atlanta should consider for their rotation.

Jordan Montgomery would give the Braves a valuable innings eater

Jordan Montgomery is a pitcher that is likely at or near the top of the list for many teams because of how stellar he has been in recent years. He’s made at least 30 starts with at least 155 innings pitched in each of his last three seasons and has posted a 3.48 ERA in his 94 starts during that timespan.

Montgomery was never better than he was this past season for the Cardinals and Rangers, posting a 3.20 ERA in 32 starts and 188.2 innings pitched. He not only helped Texas make the playoffs after they acquired him at the deadline, but he played a crucial role in their first World Series title.

Montgomery is arguably the most reliable arm out there right now with Yoshinobu Yamamoto unproven in MLB, and is going to get paid like it. As expensive as it might be, he’d be a worthwhile target for Alex Anthopoulos to consider.