It’s not Burnes, but the ace’s deal could open a door for Alex Anthopoulos and the Braves.
Many Braves fans are understandably concerned about the quietness in Cobb County. While Anthopoulos did an excellent job coordinating the acquisition of Reynaldo Lopez and the transfer of Chris Sale a year ago, his work is far from finished. This is especially true given Max Fried’s announced departure and Charlie Morton’s uncertain return.
While the Braves aren’t and never will be getting Burnes, the former NL Cy Young winner’s move to Arizona may open the door for Atlanta. In fact, Anthopoulos appears to be on track to complete a trade that would be ideal for Jordan Montgomery.
Braves opportunity to trade for Jordan Montgomery has never been better
With Burnes currently in Arizona, Montgomery does not have a spot in the D’Backs rotation following his ill-fated deal with the team after missing spring training. The southpaw’s performance in the desert was abysmal, with a 6.23 ERA and a 1.65 WHIP across 25 games. The Diamondbacks front staff has made no secret of their desire to move on, but with Montgomery opting in, they will be forced to deal him.
But that’s where the Braves might be interested. Yes, Montgomery experienced a disaster last year. However, given his past three seasons, this appears to be an aberration. Monty has a 3.48 ERA and 1.184 WHIP in 94 starts and 524.1 innings from 2021-23, including stints with the Yankees, Cardinals, and Rangers. While that isn’t ace-caliber stuff, it would fit perfectly alongside Sale and Lopez at the top of Atlanta’s lineup.
Montgomery is in the final year of his contract after exercising his player option this offseason, and he is owed $22.5 million. To move the southpaw, the Diamondbacks are anticipated to eat a significant chunk of his contract in order to complete the trade.
Anthopoulos would undoubtedly be curious. With numerous trades completed to far, the Braves’ chief decision-maker has targeted distressed assets that are undervalued but have upside. We saw it with Sale last offseason, and Montgomery would fit in there as well.
It’s not a formality, but with Burnes likely leaving Jack Flaherty as the best free agent option on the market, another trade is inevitable for the Braves. Montgomery has now emerged as an even more likely option for Atlanta, based on the room.
