Rays ace’s potential trade destination was touted as the Braves. The Tyler Glasnow.

The Braves have struggled in the postseason every year since 2020, despite the fact that Atlanta’s pitching was not the cause of their early elimination this season. It’s been the one constant, and it appears that Alex Anthopoulos has noticed that pattern.

According to Anthopoulos, “You have to be careful you don’t overweigh a four-game sample size,” Mark Bowman of MLB.com reported. However, I doubt you will be able to ignore it either. That’s two responses in one, I know. However, we have broad concepts and notions. I’m probably not going to get into that because I don’t want people to know what we’re trying to do other than improve the club, even though it will probably affect what we do this offseason.

The pitching staff can be improved significantly, but the historic Braves offense cannot be improved too much. It would be foolish to count on Max Fried, Charlie Morton, and Spencer Strider to stay healthy the entire season.

This year, Morton battled a finger issue, and Fried coped with a serious elbow injury and blister. Granted, it could be attributed to unluck, but there has been a pattern. Last year, Strider had an indirect injury and Fried had the sick. When October arrives, the Braves rotation is always depleted of players. They had Dylan Lee and Tucker Davidson starting World Series games even in 2021. They prevailed, but that won’t guarantee further success in the postseason.

I prefer to prepare for the worst and hope for the best. Overkilling the pitching staff is the right approach to the offseason.

Regardless of the avenue the Braves choose, they have to add to the rotation. Though his injury history concerns me, Tyler Glasnow is an option as The Athletic mentioned in a piece about stars that could be traded this offseason.

Tyler Glasnow is healthy again and pitching like the ace that he is. The righty went 10-7 with a 3.53 ERA and 1.083 WHIP in 21 starts last season, striking out 162 in 120 innings. He was better in the second half of the season, when he went 8-4 with a 3.22 ERA in 13 starts. Glasnow, 30, is signed for $25 million in 2024 and will be a free agent after the season. His trade market will be robust, filled with contending teams like the Dodgers, Rangers, Orioles and Braves who are looking for short-term, top-of-the-rotation starters. The Rays always have one eye on today and the other on the future and their best play is to move him this winter rather than wait until the trade deadline, when they’ll probably be in the race, making it more difficult to deal him at that point.

Injuries have kept Tyler Glasnow from becoming a great, but he bounced back in 2023, posting an impressive 12.2 strikeouts per nine innings to go with a 1.083 WHIP and 3.53 ERA.

The free agent market for pitching is rather thin, so there will certainly be some overpaying going on. It makes sense for the Rays to shop Glasnow a year ahead of his free agency, and the Braves are a sensible landing spot.

In terms of stuff, Glasnow has it in spades. Moreover, Tampa Bay is likely interested in offloading his team-record $25 million salary for 2024, but that benefits the Braves.