In a somewhat minor deal that took place last week, the Atlanta Braves traded right handed starter Kyle Wright to the Kansas City Royals in exchange for right handed was-once-a-starter Jackson Kowar.
That feels like a strange thing to say.
Both of these pitchers were first round draft picks from perennial powerhouse colleges (Wright, Vanderbilt and Kowar, Florida), yet this trade feels much more like roster shuffling than the headliners of a blockbuster deal that could’ve been. To be fair, Wright enjoyed a breakout year in 2022, but is expected to miss all of 2024 recovering from shoulder surgery. Kowar, on the other hand, has yet to find his footing as a competent major-league contributor.
A starter in college, Kowar continued to be a starter as he ascended through the minors, but has yet to make a start at the Major League level. In his 74 big-league appearances, he’s allowed 75 earned runs. If you’re a Braves fan, that’s not an encouraging return for a guy who won 21 games just two seasons ago, shoulder surgery or otherwise.
Clearly, this is a bet on upside. And even if Atlanta thinks Kowar isn’t a big-league starter, there’s some reason to believe he can thrive as a top tier bullpen arm.