The Atlanta Braves desperately need to find new starting pitching heading into the 2025 season. The team’s ace, Spencer Strider, is still recovering from major elbow surgery. Both Charlie Morton and Max Fried left in free agency. Atlanta needs to find a new pitcher quickly.
Bleacher Report’s Zachary Rymer recently predicted the Braves would get desperate and swing a blockbuster trade for Minnesota Twins ace Pablo LĂłpez this winter. LĂłpez has three years remaining on his four-year, $73.5 million contract.
Here’s the deal pitched by Rymer to send LĂłpez to the Braves for a huge haul in return:
- Atlanta Braves receive: RHP Pablo López, C Christian Vázquez
- Minnesota Twins receive: C Drake Baldwin (No. 5 prospect), RHP Hurston Waldrep (No. 3 prospect), RHP JR Ritchie (No. 7 prospect)
“The Braves have not been connected to LĂłpez, but it’s past time they added a starter. With Morton in Baltimore and Max Fried in New York, Atlanta’s rotation has sustained two significant departures,” Rymer wrote. “The only thing to look forward to is Spencer Strider’s return from his second major elbow surgery in five years. LĂłpez has spent the last three seasons as an above-average starter. Even in slipping to a 4.08 ERA in 2024, he still salvaged a 4.8 strikeout-to-walk ratio with help from one of the league’s best four-seamers.”
To me, this seems like a massive overpay for LĂłpez. The Braves would be losing two of their most valuable pitching prospects as well as their top-catching prospect for a good, not great, starting pitcher.
