Atlanta Braves Interested in Pulling Off Trade for Former Phillies Starter

The Atlanta Braves may move to make a trade with the Tampa Bay Rays for a former Philadelphia Phillies starter.

Mandatory Credit: Nick Turchiaro-USA TODAY Sports / Nick Turchiaro-USA TODAY Sports

The Atlanta Braves are hoping that the red-hot Philadelphia Phillies hit a road block in their historic campaign and a window opens for them to once again claim the National League East division title.

But the Phillies look to be unstoppable and they will only get that much better once shortstop Trea Turner makes his return to the lineup.

The Braves know this so they are rumored to be interested in adding former Phillies starter and current Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Zach Eflin via trade according to USA Today.

Working in Eflin's favor is the fact that he is right-handed. Between Chris Sale and Max Fried, Atlanta may want to add a right-hander to the mix. With Spencer Strider out for the season plus multiple other unknowns, the Braves will need to do something before the MLB trade deadline.

Whether Eflin is enough in that department will be up to the front office and how aggressive they want to be. They may need to add more than just one arm to the rotation but in a season where pitching is the most expensive and coveted commodity, the farm system would take a massive blow to pull off trades for multiple starters.

Additionally, Fried will be a free agent after the season. Eflin has another year of team control after 2024, making him especially attractive to an Atlanta franchise that will need stability in order to continue to compete with their NL East rivals.

For Phillies fans, it appears that whatever kept him from reaching his full potential at a consistent level has been unlocked by the Rays. That would be particularly frustrating to see Eflin return to the division, pitch for a direct rival, and find more success than he did with Philadelphia.