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The Atlanta Braves are in an interesting position at the moment. They are expected to be a clear contender in 2025 after reaching the postseason for the seventh consecutive year.
However, they may ultimately lose left-hander Max Fried in free agency. He'll certainly be expensive, and the Braves may find themselves priced out.
This would leave Atlanta in need of acquiring a starting pitcher. They could look into signing one of the top free agents to offset the loss of Fried, or potentially diving into the trade market.
Assuming they dive into the trade market, Kerry Miller of Bleacher Report believes that they could target left-hander Jordan Montgomery, who had a disappointing season with the Arizona Diamondbacks.
"If the Diamondbacks are willing to eat a decent chunk of his $22.5 million salary for 2025 in order to send him packing, surely there are a few teams willing to bet he can right the ship," Miller wrote.
"Among those interested parties?
Probably the Atlanta Braves, who need to add at least one starting pitcher this offseason and who forever love a buy-low trade candidate. They probably aren't looking to spend over $20 million on a starter, but if they can flip the Snakes a prospect and convince them to keep half of Monty's salary in the deal, Alex Anthopoulos will find a way."
Montgomery signed with Arizona late and struggled for the most part, posting a 6.23 ERA in 117 innings pitched. He also had a 1.65 WHIP and a -1.4 bWAR.
Needless to say, 2024 has been a year to forget for Montgomery. But if he can bounce back to where he was in 2023 when he helped guide the Texas Rangers to a World Series title, it might be worth it for the Braves to gamble on him and see what they can get out of him in 2025 before he hits free agency again.
It will be interesting to see if any teams come calling for the left-hander's services this winter. The Braves could very well be one of them.
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