MLB Trade Rumors: Braves Should Move Jair Jurrjens While Value Is Bloated

The Atlanta Braves are rich in the pitching department and because of that they should trade Jair Jurrjens while his market value is sky high. There are at least 10 teams involved in talks with the Braves about the right-handed starter, according to MLB insider Jon Heyman.

Jurrjens is 25 years old and is under team control for two more seasons. He posted a 2.96 ERA in 23 starts last season. The Curacao native has been one of Atlanta's most reliable starters since arriving from Detroit in a trade involving shortstop Edgar Renteria.

On the flip side, he's started just 43 games over the past two seasons due to injuries. It's always worrisome to see a young pitcher struggling to stay healthy, even if it doesn't involve major arm surgery.

While his basic statistics might suggest he's ace material, his peripheral numbers tell a different story. He has never recorded a SIERA (an ERA estimator) lower than 4.16. His career batting average on balls in play, which is 20 points lower than average, and left-on-base percentage both suggest luck has been on side.

His strikeout-to-walk ratio is also concerning as it usually hovers around two. By comparison, fellow Braves starter Brandon Beachy checked in at nearly four and an elite pitcher like Roy Halladay was over six last season.

Atlanta has no shortage of pitching depth with Tim Hudson, Tommy Hanson, Mike Minor, Julio Teheran, Randall Delgado and Beachy all expected to compete for rotation spots next spring.

The Braves offense continued to be inconsistent last season despite the addition of Dan Uggla. Their new second baseman heated up in the second half, but had to carry the offense on his shoulders because virtually nobody else was hitting a lick.

Of course, that lack of runs came back to haunt them during an epic September collapse which left fans to wonder what happened to their nearly double-digit lead.

If trading Jurrjens would allow them to land another impact bat, general manager Frank Wren should jump at the opportunity. They have created a pitching pipeline in Atlanta for the past two decades, but developing hitters hasn't been such a consistent success.

With the Florida Marlins starting to spend, Washington Nationals continuing to develop their young talent and the Philadelphia Phillies, the NL East isn't any easy place to reside right now.

The Braves need to stay ahead of the curve by trading Jurrjens while his value is being driven up by a potential bidding war.

His stock will never be higher than it current sits, so it's time to sell.