The Braves are heading toward the trade deadline with one eye on the market and another on the injured list.
Alex Anthopoulos said Sunday on MLB Network Radio that Atlanta is still working to improve, even with potential reinforcements possibly on the way in Ronald Acuña Jr. for the lineup and Spencer Schwellenbach and AJ Smith-Shawver for the rotation. But he was clear that the club can’t bank on any of those returns.
That’s why the Braves are staying active. Anthopoulos said pitching is the main area of focus, though adding a bat is also on the table depending on what becomes available.
“As much as we all like to say, ‘I need to get this, I need to get that,’ sometimes you just have to take what might be available to you,” Anthopoulos said. “I think it’s been pretty obvious, if there’s a playoff-caliber starter out there, we would jump at that. If there’s a reliever [out there], we would jump at that.”
The problem, as Anthopoulos sees it, is that the seller’s market hasn’t really formed. Too many teams are still hanging around the playoff race, which has slowed the flow of obvious trade chips. He pointed to the Tigers and Red Sox as examples of clubs that once looked ready to deal but have since surged back into the picture.
Detroit and Boston still have arms that would draw plenty of attention - Detroit with two-time Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal and Casey Mize, Boston with Sonny Gray and Aroldis Chapman - but Anthopoulos said the timing of it all makes deals harder to complete.
“I think timing and being able to close on a deal, it’s challenging,” Anthopoulos said. “It’s challenging in the offseason, but at least the stats stay permanent.
They don’t move. As the train is on the move and performances are changing, things move.
So I think timing is very important, in my experiences at least. We’re just going to stay engaged with the other 29 clubs.”
For now, Atlanta is waiting on its own injured players as much as it is on the trade market. Acuña, dealing with a left hamstring strain, could return before the end of the Braves’ current homestand. Schwellenbach and Smith-Shawver are both making progress as well, though their timelines are very different.
Schwellenbach has started throwing bullpen sessions in Florida as he works back from February surgery to remove loose bodies from his right elbow. Anthopoulos said those sessions are essentially the equivalent of Spring Training buildup, which means his return still may not be immediate.
Smith-Shawver, meanwhile, is much closer after undergoing UCL repair surgery in June 2025. He has made four rehab starts, including Saturday’s outing for Triple-A Gwinnett, when he allowed no runs over 4 1/3 innings, struck out five and stretched his pitch count to 72.
The Braves need the help. Philadelphia has closed the gap in the National League East after once trailing by as many as 10 1/2 games, and Atlanta’s rotation has been under strain. The club’s starters entered Sunday with the ninth-best ERA in MLB at 3.96, but the group has posted a 5.53 ERA over its last 31 games dating back to June 9.
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Braves May Finally Have The Trade Match Fans Have Waited For
The Athletics are reportedly open for business on some of their outfielders, and the timing makes the idea worth watching from Atlantas side. Oaklands goal is straightforward enough, too: it wants young starting pitching in return, which is exactly the kind of currency the Braves have been able to stockpile while trying to patch a lineup that could still use more help in the outfield.
That overlap is what makes this feel more than just another deadline rumor. Atlanta has several young arms it could put into a deal, giving the front office a rare chance to turn pitching depth into a bat without stripping the roster bare, and the As willingness to listen keeps the door open. The question now is whether the Braves are ready to make that kind of move, and which arm they would be willing to part with if they do. [Read more 🡒]
Braves May Have Found A Rotation Fix With One Major Catch
The Braves are still hunting for starting pitching help, and the market is pointing them toward a familiar kind of target: a veteran arm with a track record of taking the ball and keeping a rotation steady. In that search, one possible fit stands out because of both his consistency and his reputation as a two-time All-Star, the kind of pitcher Atlanta could use if it wants more stability behind its top options.
The catch is that any conversation around him is likely to get complicated quickly. Recent pitcher trades with similar contract structures have already shown how hard it can be for clubs to line up on value, and that same issue could make negotiations between Atlanta and Kansas City tricky. If the Braves and Royals see the package differently, the talks could stall before they really get moving, which is why Atlanta may need to keep other rotation options in play. [Read more 🡒]
Braves Suddenly Got A More Encouraging Spencer Schwellenbach Update
The Braves got a more encouraging read on Spencer Schwellenbach after earlier skepticism around the injured pitching group, and that matters because every bit of rotation help feels significant with the season moving into its final stretch. Schwellenbachs rehab has continued in Florida, and the most recent update points toward him taking a meaningful next step soon, which at least keeps the door open for a late-season boost.
For Atlanta, the appeal is obvious: if Schwellenbach can get through a rehab assignment and build back up without setbacks, he would give the club another arm to lean on behind Chris Sale. A September return is still the best-case path, so there is no reason to treat this as a sure thing yet, but the tone around Schwellenbach has shifted enough to make him one of the more interesting names to watch in the coming weeks. [Read more 🡒]