Every team could use starting pitching depth, and the Atlanta Braves are no exception. The Athletic’s David O’Brien floated a trade proposal that would send the White Sox’ Erick Fedde to Atlanta in exchange for a pair of prospects, and former MLB GM Jim Bowden gave his honest take.
Here’s the trade O’Brien laid out:
Braves receive: RHP Erick Fedde
White Sox receive: RHP Garrett Baumann, SS Mario Baez
“I agree the Braves really need one more veteran starter,” Bowden began in his analysis. “Fedde is a solid mid-rotation starter who has figured it out and provides bulldog-type innings that will be crucial come August and September.”
Fedde is having an All-Star caliber season after spending 2023 resurrecting his career in South Korea. Through 17 starts this year with the White Sox, the 31-year-old is pitching to a 3.23 ERA, striking out 91 and giving up 89 hits in 100.1 innings. He’s also walking a career-low 2.2 batters per 9 innings.
The White Sox Might Need More in an Erick Fedde Trade
Baumann and Baez are both intriguing prospects. Baumann is thriving in A-ball with a 3.20 ERA and 0 home runs allowed over 244 batters faced. He’s also only walking 2 batters per nine innings.
As for Baez, the 17-year-old is struggling to hit in the Florida Complex League, but possesses above-average speed and, as O’Brien put it, “a plus arm and good glove.” The Braves have several shortstops among their top prospects, so they could afford to deal one in the low minors.
Bowden, however, isn’t sure this trade gets it done for a guy like Fedde, who is not a mere half-year rental.
“If I’m the White Sox, I’m hoping to get a better pitching prospect back in the deal considering Fedde’s additional year of control,” he wrote.
The good news is Bowden had another name in mind that could get the White Sox to accept the deal.
“Start the conversation with [RHP Cade] Kuehler and finish it with Baumann and Baez, and then we can type up the news release,” he said.
Kuehler would be the highest-rated prospect of the bunch as the No. 8 player in the Braves’ Minor League system, per MLB.com. The 22-year-old has a 2.20 ERA for Class A Augusta with a .220 opponents’ batting average. MLB.com estimates his Major League ETA around 2026.
State of the Braves Rotation
As Bowden said, this would be a move to add depth to the middle of the Braves’ rotation. Chris Sale and Max Fried have held strong at the top, combining to go 17-6 in 30 starts. Meanwhile Reynaldo Lopez has been a revelation, returning to his roots as a starting pitcher and building a 1.70 ERA in 14 starts.
Adding Fedde would give the Braves as good a four-man playoff rotation as any in the game, provided they all stay healthy.
That’s no small caveat. Each of the Braves’ top four starters right now (the three above plus Charlie Morton) are 30-or-older and both Sale and Fried are coming off major injuries. Sale hasn’t made 30 starts in a season since 2017.
Additionally, Morton and Fried are free agents after this year. The Braves would surely love to bring Fried back, but Fedde is due only $7.5 million next year and would provide cheap insurance in case Fried signs elsewhere.
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