The Braves are viewed as “strong possibilities” for two top starting pitchers.

 

 

For Braves fans, it’s been a thrilling day on the hot burner. It all started when Jon Morosi revealed that Shohei Ohtani is interested in joining the Atlanta Braves. That still seems like a pipe dream. I doubt the Braves will be willing to match his contractual demands, as some other teams in the league have.

However, according to Morosi, the Braves are considered “strong possibilities” for two frontline starting pitchers, Aaron Nola and Sonny Gray.

I mentioned Aaron Nola earlier today. Because of his knowledge with the NL East and his durability, he makes a lot of sense. Injuries have ravaged the Braves rotation in recent seasons. Alex Anthopoulos must be interested in adding some continuity in the form of a pitcher who has made 32+ starts in every complete season since 2018. However, it will not be inexpensive. Some predict that Nola will earn more than $200 million in free agency. At that price, it’s difficult to see the Braves being truly interested.

Sonny Gray, on the other hand, should be considerably less expensive. He’ll be 34 next season, but he’s coming off one of his best seasons, with a 2.79 ERA and league-leading 2.83 FIP, which earned him a spot on the AL Cy Young ballot.

 

 

Gray has a 3.22 ERA in 124 starts since 2019, and it’s worth noting that he pitched half of his home games at Great American Ballpark for three of the five seasons. He’d be a fantastic acquisition for the Braves, and he’ll probably take half the commitment that Aaron Nola will this offseason.

The Falcons are on a downward spiral, with Tankathon projecting them to choose 10th overall. Arthur Smith may not make it through the season, and if he does, the Falcons will likely draft a quarterback in the first round. Last week, I discussed LSU’s Jayden Daniels, which is linked below. However, there should be lots of other choices.

I’m not going to waste my time speculating on a hyper-realistic trade scenario, but I believe the Falcons might make a play for a quarterback. The Giants are stuck with Daniel Jones for the time being, and there are plenty of quarterback-needy teams ahead of them in the draft order. The Bears aren’t required to take one, but if the draft were held today, I believe Caleb Williams would be selected. The Falcons could then pursue Justin Fields, but with a new coach, let’s just say they hit the reset button.

Drake Maye is a major admirer of mine, and I believe he’ll be an impact quarterback in the NFL who consistently dazzles with his ability to improvise outside of the pocket. Maye has the physical appearance and athleticism to make plays outside of the system. He can make whatever ball you throw at him, and even with a bad offensive line in 2022, he was continually making big plays for UNC.

 

 

He could be my favorite player in this class, and he would be the Falcons’ face of the franchise when they finally put an end to the quarterback carousel.

Mims was a top-ten pick entering the season, but his stock has dropped after a tightrope operation that forced him to miss several weeks. So why not? NFLDraftBuzz has him ranked 43rd. He was back against Ole Miss and looked in fine condition, so perhaps he’ll return to the first round discussion. Regardless, the Falcons may decide to part ways with Kaleb McGary. Mims is a massive man with enormous strength in his fists. He has good pass protection technique and is a road grader in the run game. He is a ready-to-play starter at right tackle who the Falcons may deploy right away if they decide to part ways with McGary.

Jon Morosi of MLB Network is quickly becoming the top reporter among Braves fans. Earlier today, he said that Shohei Ohtani is “intrigued” by the prospect of playing in Atlanta. The Braves have checked in on Aaron Nola, according to Morosi.

Normally, the Braves avoid bidding battles for free agents during the offseason, but Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic speculated that things would be different this time.

 

 

“One of the remarkable things about the Atlanta Braves is that none of their players signed long-term has a salary of more than $22 million,” Rosenthal writes in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “But for the right starting pitcher in free agency, the Braves are willing to go higher.”

“The $22 million figure is not an actual ceiling, but merely the peak number the Braves settled upon in their extensions for Matt Olson and Austin Riley, according to sources briefed on the team’s plans who are not authorized to speak publicly.”

Rosenthal even cited Aaron Nola as a possible option, given the Phillies’ seeming disparity in numbers. He’s also from Baton Rouge and might like to stay close to home.

Signing Nola makes far too much sense for the Braves. They are desperate for another frontline pitcher, and his endurance must be especially appealing to a squad whose pitchers have been beset by ailments in previous years. Nola epitomizes the term “workhorse.”

 

 

He’s made 32 or more starts in every season since 2018, with the exception of the COVID-shortened 2020 season. He has also pitched 180+ innings in each of those years, finishing in the top seven of the National League Cy Young race three times.

Taking Nola away from a competing division