The Braves’ rotation picture has gotten thin enough that the trade deadline can’t be treated like a luxury anymore. After Sale, the options get shaky fast: Elder looks like he’s on his usual second-half slide and profiles more as a fourth starter, Holmes is a fifth starter, and the rookies are not the kind of arms you want to rush into the fire.
Strider could be back in August, but he hasn’t been consistently good this season. Schwellenbach is also due back, though there are still real questions about how many innings he’ll give them and how effective he’ll be.
That’s why the need is so clear. Atlanta needs two pitchers, and the ideal setup is pretty specific: one arm with at least a year of team control at a price that fits the production, and one rental who might be extendable.
Both will cost a lot. The problem is that most rental starters don’t check enough boxes.
Two names stand out as realistic targets.
Casey Mize is the cleaner fit if the Braves want someone who can slot into the middle of a rotation and not just survive there. He’s been through a lot already - missing most of 2022 and all of 2023 after UCL surgery, then being merely okay in 2024 before looking like himself again in 2025.
This year, he’s pitching like the pitcher the Tigers hoped they were getting when they drafted him. Over 71+ innings and 13 starts, Mize has a 2.64 ERA, a 2.73 FIP, and a 0.98 WHIP.
He gets ahead early, throwing a strike with his first pitch 67% of the time, and while his fly-ball rate is slightly above average, the ball hasn’t been leaving the park much - his 0.63 HR/9 ranks sixth among pitchers with 70 innings.
Detroit complicates things. The Tigers are fourth in the AL Central and 5.5 games back, which makes Mize an obvious trade candidate on paper. But they could also give him a qualifying offer, and that might be enough to keep him around on a pillow contract while he waits to see what the new CBA brings.
If he were available, the Braves would owe him about $1.12 million for August and September. The hope would be that he’d take a one-year pillow deal in Atlanta, or maybe even a four-year, $90 million contract with an option if he wanted something longer. The cost in prospects would be real, but not outrageous: JR Ritchie and a lottery-ticket pitching prospect should be enough.
Sonny Gray is the other name, and he may be the more proven one. Will Sammon and Ken Rosenthal wrote in The Athletic that “…Gray, who owns a 2.61 ERA over 89 2/3 innings and 16 starts, profiles as the (Braves) best option.”
Gray, 36, has been back to his best this season. He’d only cost the Braves about $3.6 million for the final two months, which sounds manageable until you factor in the rest of the deal.
He has a 2027 option for $31 million with a $10 million buyout. Since he’ll be 37 next year, the Braves would almost certainly decline the option and eat the buyout, turning him into a $13.5 million rental.
Spotrac has the numbers there.
There’s also a no-trade clause, so Gray gets some say in where he lands, not just whether the highest bidder comes calling. That could help Atlanta, or it could complicate things. And paying a premium for an older pitcher without a clear path to an extension doesn’t make a ton of sense unless the Braves can get the payroll hit down by putting $5 million into the deal.
If Atlanta wants Gray, the prospect price is going to be steep. JR Ritchie and Cody Miller would be the kind of package the Sox should accept.
In Other News...
Braves Fans Had One Big Reason To Watch Cam Caminiti Closely
The 2026 MLB All-Star Futures Game in Philadelphia gave Braves fans a fresh look at Cam Caminiti, the organizations top pitching prospect, in a setting built for baseballs next wave of talent. The American League rolled to a 6-1 win over the National League, but the showcase was really about the names scattered across the field, with Jess Made, Kade Anderson, Seth Hernandez, Liam Doyle, Leo De Vries, JoJo Parker and Nathan Flewelling all getting a turn in front of a national audience.
Caminiti did his part to keep Atlantas interest alive, working a scoreless inning and striking out one in his outing. The bigger buzz from the game came elsewhere, as Flewelling turned in the kind of moment that can define a showcase like this, leaving Braves followers to track not just how Caminiti looked, but what his brief appearance says about where he stands in the organizations pipeline. [Read more 🡒]
Braves Just Confirmed A Ronald Acuna Jr. Update Fans Needed
Ronald Acuna Jr. is set to take another step back toward Atlantas lineup, with a rehab assignment beginning Monday at the FCL Braves. It is the latest checkpoint in a season that has again been interrupted by injury for one of the Braves most important players, and it comes with the kind of caution that has followed Acuna since his breakout years were derailed by repeated setbacks.
Ha-Seong Kim will also be in the FCL Braves mix as he starts his own rehab work, giving the club a pair of notable names to monitor at the same level. For Atlanta, the bigger picture is familiar by now: Acuna still changes the lineup when he is available, but every return now carries the lingering question of how long he can stay on the field after so many stops and starts. [Read more 🡒]
Braves May Need To Cut Bait On A Veteran Bat Fast
The Braves hold on the NL East has tightened enough that every roster spot is starting to matter a little more, and that is why the conversation around the lineup is beginning to shift. With Philadelphia and Miami closing the gap, Atlanta may not be able to carry underperforming pieces much longer, especially with the All-Star break offering a natural checkpoint for a club that still expects to contend.
Dominic Smith has become one of the more obvious names to watch because the bat that looked useful earlier in the season has not stayed at that level. Atlanta has already had to weigh how much value he brings as a designated hitter and outfielder, and the front office could soon have to decide whether the fit is worth keeping around if the offense does not rebound quickly after the break. [Read more 🡒]