Legitimate starting pitcher trade chatter is still mostly on hold, and that makes sense. There are only a few weeks left before teams really know what they are, and with the expanded playoffs and a deeply underwhelming American League, plenty of clubs still think one hot stretch can change everything.
Even so, the Braves’ need is obvious. They’re going to be buyers, and the top item on the shopping list is a frontline starter. Tarik Skubal is the biggest name that could move if the Tigers decide to sell, but Jon Heyman also tossed out a different group of possible trade candidates on MLB Network: Joe Ryan, Kevin Gausman, Trevor Rogers, José Soriano and Reid Detmers.
Joe Ryan has been part of trade talk for a couple of years, but the Twins have held on to him so far. They’re a hard team to read, but with Minnesota only 5.5 games back in the super winnable AL Central, it would probably take a rough July before they seriously entertain moving him.
Gausman is another familiar name, and there’s a Braves connection there too. Atlanta acquired him at the 2018 trade deadline, which remains the only time Alex Anthopoulos has ever added a starting pitcher of real significance mid-season.
That version of Gausman wasn’t the pitcher he later became with the Giants and Blue Jays, though, and while Toronto has been one of the league’s most disappointing teams after nearly winning the World Series last year, they still don’t look ready to wave the white flag. Their ownership group has too much invested in the roster to give up easily.
The more realistic names, at least on paper, are Soriano and Reid Detmers. The Angels are the one club in that mix that really should be selling, and they’ve dragged their feet on a full rebuild long enough. Moving two quality starters with multiple years of control could do a lot for their farm system.
Soriano, in particular, stands out. He has frontline starter stuff and two more seasons of team control, which is exactly the kind of profile that would cost a haul in prospects. For a Braves team looking for stability now and later, he would be a major get.
In Other News...
Braves May Have Another Young Arm Worth Believing In
Braxton Fuentes has spent most of this season helping steady an Atlanta bullpen that has become a real asset, and the 21-year-old right-hander has done enough in relief to keep himself in the conversation for bigger things. After beginning the year with the idea he might be stretched back out as a starter, his role quickly settled into shorter bursts, and the results have been strong: a 2.59 ERA, 36 strikeouts in 31 1/3 innings, and at least 25 appearances.
The larger question is what comes next for a pitcher whose stuff already plays in late innings but whose long-term value could be even greater if he can survive in a rotation. Fuentes has the kind of fastball-slider combination that can miss bats now, and Atlanta still wants to see a third pitch emerge as part of a move back toward starting. That makes his progress worth tracking closely, especially after last years rough first look in the majors left plenty to prove. [Read more 🡒]
Braves Deadline Plans Keep Getting Messier For One Frustrating Reason
The Braves deadline picture has been getting murkier not because of one glaring hole, but because several parts of the roster keep shifting under Alex Anthopoulos feet. Atlanta still has to sort through issues at third base, in the rotation and around the outfield mix, and the problem is that each answer seems to create another question before the front office can even settle on the next move.
Austin Riley, Grant Holmes, Reynaldo Lopez and Mike Yastrzemski have all become part of that restless equation, with their recent struggles feeding into a roster plan that keeps changing shape. Add in the lingering effect of Jurickson Profars suspension, and the Braves are left trying to decide not just what they need at the deadline, but what their needs will look like by the time they actually make a deal. [Read more 🡒]
Braves Suddenly Have A Real Shot At A Deadline Ace
The Braves push toward the trade deadline has taken on a different tone lately, because the conversation is no longer just about finding pitching help, but about whether they can actually chase one of the biggest arms on the market. Atlantas recent run of uneven starting pitching has put the front office in a familiar spot, weighing short-term urgency against long-term cost while trying to stay in the NL East race.
MLB.coms Mark Feinsand has added to the speculation by pointing to Atlanta as a logical fit for a front-line starter if the market breaks that way. The Braves have the kind of financial room and prospect depth that can at least keep them in the conversation, which is why the idea is getting real traction this early in deadline season. Whether that interest turns into something concrete will depend on how aggressive Atlanta wants to get, and how far it is willing to go to fix the rotation. [Read more 🡒]