Justin Verlander was a free agent pitcher, and the Atlanta Braves were allegedly among the top organizations vying for his services. It’s going to be difficult for Atlanta to replace both Charlie Morton and Max Fried’s production.

The San Francisco Giants signed Verlander to a one-year contract, which was unfortunate for the Braves.

Christopher Kline of FanSided thinks that after missing out on Verlander, the Braves might instead turn to another pitcher who will go down in the Hall of Fame. Kline proposed that the Braves target Max Scherzer, a former teammate of Verlander’s.

“The Braves were an ideal landing spot for Justin Verlander on paper an established contender with a clear need for pitching depth, but with enough established star-power to insulate him and protect him in the event of injuries,” Kline stated. “The Braves would have benefited from Verlander’s two decades of Major League Baseball experience, but he is probably not the 160-plus inning workhorse of the past.

“Why not take a similar route with Max Scherzer, the 40-year-old free agent who used to live in the same New York clubhouse as Verlander? In addition to his recent success, Scherzer, a three-time Cy Young winner and two-time champion, would bring to Atlanta decades of winning experience.

For Atlanta, Scherzer might not be the worst choice. Baseball fans have a misunderstanding that he is a lousy pitcher, although that isn’t entirely accurate. Over the past three seasons, the 40-year-old has thrown 341 1/3 innings with a 3.16 ERA and 1.03 WHIP.

Although he wouldn’t be the Braves’ best option, signing him to a one-year contract wouldn’t be a bad idea.