Atlanta Braves Interested in Chris Archer and Jose Quintana
Trade rumors are starting to heat up with the non-waiver trade deadline just over a month away.
According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, starting pitchers Chris Archer and Jose Quintana are once again on the Braves' radar. The team is reportedly eyeing Oakland Athletics pitcher Sonny Gray as well, but they prefer Archer and Quintana because they are under team control for up to four more seasons.
"Archer and Quintana, like Sale, have multiple years of team control remaining on their contracts, an essential for the Braves now and in the future. They're not interested in dealing for a "rental" pitcher who'll cost prospects just to get through the season," David O'Brien wrote in his report for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
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"If they're giving up talent in return, they want to acquire a starter whom they can plug into the top of their rotation for the next few seasons as they begin to sprinkle their own top pitching prospects into the mix," he continued.
The Braves were reportedly interested in both of them last winter along with Chris Sale. However, the team didn't make a move because they thought the asking prices were too high back then. The Chicago White Sox would ship Sale to the Boston Red Sox in December for a nice haul of young talent, but Archer and Quintana remained with their teams.
The Braves will get another chance to acquire either one of them before the deadline, but they will still have to give up young players and prospects if they want to get a deal done.
The team is currently on the outside looking in for a spot in the playoffs, so it's a little surprising to hear that they are still interested in bolstering their rotation before the deadline. In fact, Archer's team, the Tampa Bay Rays, actually have a better chance of making the postseason as of this moment. But the Braves are clearly thinking ahead and they want to assemble a squad that can contend next year.
