The Braves are going to have plenty of names to sift through before the August 3 deadline, and the market is lining up in a way that could help them where they need it most. According to Kiley McDaniel and Jeff Passan of ESPN, Atlanta’s wish list could include starters, shortstops, outfielders and even relievers - with some targets looking far more realistic than others.
The biggest action may come on the mound. Several MLB insiders believe starting pitching will be the hottest part of the trade market this year, which fits the Braves’ needs perfectly since they could use multiple arms for their rotation.
Tarik Skubal sits at the top of the board at 60%, with Casey Mize also at 60%. Reid Detmers and Jose Soriano are both listed at 30%, while Sonny Gray is at 20% and Kevin Gausman at 35%. Sandy Alcantara comes in at 25%, and Clay Holmes is the most likely to move at 90%.
Skubal is the headliner, but the Tigers’ direction over the next ten days could decide everything. They’re still hanging around the American League playoff race, yet if they slip any further, both Skubal and Mize could be moved.
The Twins’ stance on Joe Ryan suggests a deal there shouldn’t be expected, and Gray also appears unlikely to go anywhere with the Red Sox winning so much. Holmes would be a strong addition, though there are obvious reasons to doubt the Mets would help the Braves in a World Series chase.
Detmers and Soriano look like the names Atlanta should be circling most closely. The Angels are in position for a full rebuild, but their front office has a reputation for being unpredictable, so it’s tough to know how much they’ll actually sell.
Gausman is another obvious fit because of his familiarity with the organization and his expiring contract. If Toronto decides to move pieces, Atlanta would make sense as a landing spot.
At shortstop, the board is thinner but still interesting. Zach Neto is at 30%, Jeremy Peña at 35%, CJ Abrams at 25%, and Francisco Lindor at 15%.
It’s rare to see this many All-Star shortstops in play at the deadline, though two of them are in the Braves’ own division. A deal for Abrams or Lindor to Atlanta feels unlikely.
Neto and Peña are more plausible, but there’s also a real question about whether the Braves should be pushing hard for a starting shortstop at all. The position has been a problem for five years, but Jim Jarvis has changed the conversation.
Since taking over as the starter, he’s batting .308 with an .826 OPS, and Atlanta may want a longer look before making a major investment there.
The outfield market doesn’t offer nearly as much help. Byron Buxton is listed at just 10%, Jung Hoo Lee at 40%, and Seiya Suzuki at 15%.
That group is described as bleak, which is not ideal for a Braves club that could use an upgrade in left field. Buxton appears headed to stay put in Minnesota.
Lee brings contact skills, but his lack of power and his contract make him a less appealing trade chip. Suzuki would clearly improve Atlanta, but the Cubs would likely want a major-league player back as they try to stay in the race, and that would make a deal hard to pull off.
The reliever market could also matter, especially if a team like San Diego changes course. Mason Miller is the biggest name to watch there.
The Padres have underperformed, and if they decide to retool, Miller would be one of the biggest names available. He’s the best reliever in baseball and under team control until 2030, which means it would take at least two top-100 prospects to get him.
Aroldis Chapman probably isn’t going anywhere with Boston back in the playoff mix, but Josh Hader becomes a name to monitor if Houston sells. The Braves’ bullpen has been their biggest strength since Opening Day, and Alex Anthopoulos said recently that Atlanta would consider adding to that strength if the fit is right.
“You might want a starter, if that doesn’t show up, maybe you need to make the offense better, maybe you need to make the bullpen better,” Anthopoulos said. “I think it’s been pretty obvious that if there is a playoff caliber starter out there that we would jump at that.
If there’s a reliever, we would jump at that. We see it all the time in the playoffs with all of the off days, not that many guys are going deep in terms of starts, and having a deep bullpen is pretty important.
We’ve seen teams play bullpen games in the postseason as well because of the off-days.”
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