The Atlanta Braves have a lot of talent and a stacked top of the pitching rotation, but injuries have set them back already this season. Reynaldo López is reportedly out for the next few months after undergoing arthroscopic shoulder surgery. Bleacher Report’s Kerry Miller suggested the Braves could fill the hole in their rotation with Cincinnati Reds starting pitcher Nick Martinez. Martinez is on a one-year deal this season.
“The big three of Strider, Chris Sale and Spencer Schwellenbach could be all sorts of special when healthy,” Miller wrote. “But having some combination of Grant Holmes, AJ Smith-Shawver, and Bryce Elder filling out the rest of the rotation isn’t particularly promising for a team that has gotten out to a brutal start to the year.
“We do still expect Atlanta to be in the postseason hunt in late July, but very likely searching to add at least one starting pitcher to the mix. Potential Solutions: Nick Martinez, Andrew Heaney, Aaron Civale.” The Reds have a lot of pitching talent, so a trade for Martinez might make some sense. Cincinnati has controllable players like Hunter Greene, Nick Lodolo, Brady Singer, Carson Spiers, Rhett Lowder, Andrew Abbott, and Chase Burns. That leaves Martinez as potentially the most likely starting pitcher to be traded.
He would be a great addition for the Braves. The righty is a very consistent piece of Cincinnati’s starting rotation. He doesn’t have overpowering stuff, but he pounds the zone, limits hard contact, and attacks hitters in multiple different ways.