The Braves are being linked to a wide swath of the trade market, and that alone says plenty about where this team stands heading into the deadline. ESPN has Atlanta as a best fit for 17 of the top 25 trade deadline candidates, a massive number that points to a club with clear needs and, for once, enough farm depth to chase them without emptying the cupboard.
Starting pitching sits near the top of the wish list, and that makes sense for a team that badly needs help behind Chris Sale. Buster Olney recently noted that a wave of starters could be on the move, which would be a welcome development for Atlanta. Tarik Skubal will draw the loudest attention from the Tigers, but Joe Ryan, Sonny Gray, Reid Detmers, Casey Mize, Jose Soriano, and Freddy Peralta are among the names that would fit into the rotation picture.
The outfield is another obvious problem area. The Braves need a bat there, and the list of realistic trade targets is thinner than the pitching pool. Byron Buxton does not look like a real possibility, since the Twins have long shown little interest in moving him and he has a full no-trade clause he has given no sign of waiving.
That leaves a group with some appeal but plenty of questions. Jung Hoo Lee brings elite contact ability, though the power is limited and the contract is hefty.
Mickey Moniak has revived his career with the Rockies after a rough start since going first overall a decade ago, but there is always the question of how much of that production is tied to playing half his games at Coors Field. Taylor Ward may be the cleanest fit of the bunch.
He can become a free agent after this season and would clearly improve Atlanta’s left field situation, even if he does not qualify as a true needle-mover.
Shortstop is the other spot that keeps staring back at the Braves. Peña and Abrams are not likely to be dealt, and if either somehow became available, the price would be enormous. Atlanta has not shown a willingness to pay that kind of premium, but the lack of production at shortstop has become impossible to ignore.
In Other News...
Braves Quietly Got Back A Bullpen Arm They May Desperately Need
For most of the season, Atlantas bullpen has looked like one of the clubs quiet advantages, but the last stretch has brought a little more unease. Raisel Iglesias has blown a save, Dylan Lee has had shaky outings and Didier Fuentes is nearing the break, which has made the relief picture feel less settled than it did a few weeks ago.
Into that mix comes Danny Young, the left-hander the Braves have quietly gotten back after his injury layoff. His early work this season has been encouraging enough to give Atlanta another option for mid-to-high-leverage spots against left-handed hitters, and perhaps a way to ease the load on some of the other arms that have been asked to carry more lately. The bigger question is how quickly the Braves lean into that role, and whether Young can turn a useful return into something more than just a temporary fix. [Read more 🡒]
Walt Weiss Decisions Just Cost The Braves A Game They Had Won
The Braves had enough offense to put themselves in position to win, but the game slipped into the kind of extra-inning mess that usually leaves a manager under the microscope. Atlanta scored six runs and still could not finish off the Mets, with the lineups missed chances and a thin bench leaving the club in a difficult spot once the game stretched beyond regulation.
Walt Weiss choices only made the margin for error smaller. The Braves were already navigating a less-than-ideal setup in extras, and the way the bullpen and lineup were handled became a major part of why a game that looked won turned into a loss, even before the final inning had fully played out. [Read more 🡒]