Five way-too-early trade targets to replace Spencer Strider.
The Braves are facing every team’s worst nightmare, losing their ace in April. There’s not much they can do about it right now. Trades this early in the season almost never occur for a number of reasons. The hope is that one of the Braves younger arms can establish themselves as a viable replacement for Spencer Strider, which isn’t even fair because nobody — not even at the trade deadline — can replace one of the best pitchers in baseball. But if the young arms continue to struggle, or God forbid another injury takes place, the trade deadline will allow them to add reinforcements.
Here are five names to keep an eye on:
Michael Soroka
How about a reunion to begin the piece? Michael Soroka was outstanding in Spring Training and earned a spot at the top of the rotation for the White Sox out of camp. He’s struggled to begin the season, owning a 6.14 ERA over his first three starts with an even more unsightly 3.7 K/9. There needs to be a lot of improvement before he’s considered a trade candidate for any team, but I
wouldn’t rule it out. What Soroka needs most is reps, and if he’s performing well by the time the trade deadline rolls around, there will be many interested clubs. He’s set to be a free agent at the end of the season, and the White Sox aren’t going to be competing for the playoffs this year, making him an ideal target for contending teams if he turns things around.
