After shopping Shelby Miller for the better part of a month, remaining coy about whether or not he was truly available, the Atlanta Braves pulled off a trade with the Arizona Diamondbacks. The 25-year-old pitcher was part of a 5-player deal with the Diamondbacks that got Atlanta more young talent to work with in the future. With that trade finalized, what is the next move on the horizon for Atlanta?
According to multiple sources via ESPN.com and confirmed by the Atlanta Braves, Miller was sent to the Diamondbacks in return of former No.1 overall pick Dansby Swanson, outfielder Ender Inciarte and pitcher Aaron Blair. On paper, the Braves purely robbed Arizona. Even though they did not get AJ Pollock on the deal, acquiring Swanson means the rebuilding for team president John Hart is nearly complete.
"This was another trade that will brighten our future and give us impact-type players not only tomorrow, but right now," Hart said, via ESPN.com. "We feel each of the guys we got back has impact-level talent along with a tremendous make-up."
With Miller off the books, what is the next move for the Atlanta Braves who continue to shop everyone not named Freddie Freeman. Is Julio Teheran the next pitcher available for the taking? According to the Atlanta Journal Constitution, the Braves are getting offers for Teheran during the winter meetings. The pitcher is coming off a down season with the team, but has a good resume to his name. It was originally reported that Teheran was the target of Arizona, but with Miller going there could the pitcher be sent to the Chicago Cubs or a team that misses out on Jose Fernandez?
According to ESPN's Buster Olney, four teams are showing interest in Fernandez as the Miami Marlins may or may not be shopping him. The Yankees, Dodgers, Diamondbacks and Astros are all looking at Fernandez. The Diamondbacks can be taken off the list after the Miller trade. That leaves three teams the Braves could target for a deal with Teheran. The Braves previously asked the Dodgers about Joc Pederson in exchange for Miller. They also asked the Yankees about Luis Severino. Could Teheran get the same kind of pull in a deal?
Outside of the pitcher, the Braves would like to get trade deals for Nick Swisher and Michael Bourn in the coming days. Those two players will be harder to shop given their contracts. The easier move would be to toss one into a deal with Teheran. The Braves are not done making trades, but the Miller deal proves that Hart is looking at the bigger picture.
