It was known that the Atlanta Braves may get out to a slow start while they awaited the returns of right-handed pitcher Spencer Strider and former MVP Ronald Acuña Jr. The plan wasn’t quite 0-7, though, and it put the Braves in an early-season hole they just haven’t been able to get out of.

Atlanta is 3-11 with Strider and Acuña on the roster and it now sits at 27-33 and already 11 games out of first place in the NL East. There are no signs of things getting better, and that is why the Braves ace Chris Sale could become a perfect trade target for the New York Yankees.

Sale was last season’s NL CY Young winner, and he is putting together another solid season on the mound. He has a 2.93 ERA and 96 strikeouts in 13 starts and 73 2/3 innings pitched. He’s allowed just five earned runs in his last five starts and is doing everything he can to keep the Braves within striking distance when he takes the mound.

The fit with New York is an intriguing one, as the Yankees have the ninth-best team ERA in the majors at 3.58, but some of the starters have struggled of late. Both Will Warren (5.19 ERA) and Clarke Schmidt (4.04 ERA) feel very replaceable and adding Sale to that rotation could give New York three of the top five left-handed pitchers in baseball.

Sale could also return to the AL East, a division he spent six years in as a part of the Boston Red Sox. He enjoyed success in Boston, pitching to a 3.27 ERA across six seasons. With both the Tampa Bay Rays and Toronto Blue Jays beginning to gain a little ground in the divisional race, now could be the time for New York to make a move.

It is unclear if Atlanta would even be willing to trade Sale, as he does have a club option for next season. But if they do, the Yankees should be the first team on the phone trying to acquire the eight-time All Star.

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