Should the Braves roll the dice on this starting rotation project?

MLB: JUL 26 White Sox at Rockies

Once seen as the Braves of the AL, the White Sox have not had the sustained success Atlanta has experienced. They are back to being awful again and could be heading for another rebuild. Could the Braves be interested in a reclamation project from their starting rotation?

Michael Kopech was once heralded as one of the next truly great starters in baseball. In 2022, he started 25 games and posted a respectable 3.54 ERA. 2023 has not been so kind to him. His 5.34 ERA is bad, and his 7.32 FIP is even worse. It’s hard to say a guy with a 5.34 ERA is lucky, but that appears to be what’s happening this season. Once part of the trade package for Chris Sale, one would think Kopech is becoming expendable.

Enter the Braves. With Max Fried and Kyle Wright on the shelf for a while, they could try to “fix” Kopech if they can buy low on him in a trade. I already wrote about how the Braves and White Sox could be potential trade partners this summer, and that still hasn’t changed.

I didn’t have Kopech on that list, but he’s a guy that may be available sooner rather than later. The White Sox won’t give him away for nothing. It will depend on the price, but I’m willing to roll the dice on his talent. He still features a hard fastball, so maybe he could learn a thing or two from Spencer Strider and the rest of Atlanta’s staff. Things aren’t working out in Chicago, but he’s a name to watch for the Braves going into the summer stretch.

For different reasons, expect both of these teams to be very active as the trade deadline approaches. The White Sox have several pieces that could pique the interest of the Braves.

Photographer: Dustin Bradford/Icon Sportswire

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