The trade rumors have begun to intensify for the Atlanta Braves after starting pitcher AJ Smith-Shawver tore the UCL in his right elbow last Thursday against the Philadelphia Phillies.

With Smith-Shawver on the injured list and likely done for the season, the Braves require reinforcements in the starting rotation.

The National League West club is clawing its way back to relevance after tough stretches in March and April. They are now 27-31 and 5.5 games back of the NL’s third Wild Card spot.

The Braves and Orioles Could Make Suitable Trade Partners

There are too many games remaining in the season to declare that the Baltimore Orioles will not make the postseason, but they certainly have a lot of ground to make up at 22-36.

If the Orioles are sellers at this year’s trade deadline, the Atlanta Braves are one team that could look at their starting rotation to make additions to their roster.

Clutchpoints’ Zachary Howell views veteran Zach Eflin as a realistic option for the Braves.

“One name that makes sense for [Brian] Snitker and the Braves to pursue is Eflin from the Orioles,” wrote Howell. “Eflin hasn’t played much this season due to injury, but he has a good track record. The Orioles themselves are struggling to maintain any kind of relevancy in the American League East after winning 91 games last season.”

Eflin has made just seven starts this season after the Orioles placed him on the 15-day injured list on April 9 with a right lat strain. He returned on May 11.

The 31-year-old owns a 4.46 ERA in 40.1 innings after he posted a 2.60 ERA in 55.1 innings with the Orioles last season.

Eflin’s 5.4 strikeouts per nine innings is down compared to previous seasons, but he’s one of the best in baseball at limiting walks, averaging 1.8 per nine innings in his 10-year career.

Pairing Eflin With Sale and Strider

Eflin enjoyed the best two years of his career with the Tampa Bay Rays in 2023 and 2024.

He finished sixth in the 2023 AL Cy Young Award voting and posted a career-high 7.75 strikeout-to-walk ratio.

The Atlanta Braves would not require, nor would they need, him to perform at that level.

“Eflin is not the pitcher he used to be, but Snitker does not need him to be. The Braves already have two ace-level pitchers in Chris Sale and Strider,” wrote Howell. “At this point, their target would be a player who can come in and fill one of the final spots in the rotation. Eflin is a fit if the Braves are willing to pay the price to acquire him.”

Eflin is in the final season of a $40 million contract he signed with the Rays before the 2023 season and will be a free agent at the end of the season.

Given the Orioles’ situation with their struggling rotation, perhaps the AL East club decides to revamp the pitching staff with younger arms.

Charlie Morton is 41, and Tomoyuki Sugano, on a one-year deal, is 35.

The Braves have a surplus of right-handed pitching arms in their minor league system. They can offer someone like their No. 6 prospect on MLB Pipeline, JR Ritchie, who has a 3.14 ERA with 13 strikeouts and an opponent batting average of .146 in 14.1 innings at Double-A Columbus.

Ritchie’s estimated arrival in MLB is 2027, but the Orioles’ potential need for starting pitchers in 2026 could speed up his timeline.