The Athletics are open for business on their outfielders, and the asking price is the kind every contender knows by heart: young starting pitching.
Jon Morosi reported that the A’s have been fielding inquiries on their MLB outfielders, with the idea of turning one of them into pitching help. He noted that the club has five outfielders on the active roster and Clarke on the IL, and that the scenarios would involve the A’s trading an outfielder in exchange for young pitching.
That puts Atlanta in the conversation almost immediately. The Braves have a clear need in the rotation, but they also have a crowded collection of young arms that won’t all fit forever.
AJ Smith-Shawver, Spencer Schwellenbach, Hurston Waldrep, JR Ritchie, Didier Fuentes, Owen Murphy, Spencer Strider, and Bryce Elder are all 27 or younger, have MLB experience, and remain under team control for multiple seasons. That’s eight starters already, before even getting to older options like Reynaldo Lopez, Chris Sale, and Grant Holmes, along with the prospects still climbing through the system.
There simply aren’t enough rotation spots for everyone. At some point, the Braves are going to have to move pitching, and a small-market club like the Athletics makes sense as a trade partner.
In return, Oakland has a couple of outfield and DH names that could matter for Atlanta’s lineup.
Lawrence Butler is the high-upside swing. He looked like he was turning into a star after blasting 22 home runs and stealing 18 bases across 125 games in 2024, but the production has fallen off hard since then.
He’s hitting just .193 this season and has posted -1.4 WAR in 91 games. That makes him a risky bet for a team trying to win right now, but his talent still makes him the kind of player worth considering.
There’s also a little extra intrigue here: Butler is an Atlanta native and a childhood friend of Michael Harris II.
Tyler Soderstrom looks like the safer offensive upgrade. He broke out last season with 25 home runs and an .820 OPS, good for a 3.8-WAR year, and he’s taken another step forward this year. In 87 games, he’s already at 2.5 WAR and is tracking toward about 30 homers.
There are some real split concerns, though. At home, Soderstrom has been nearly unstoppable with an OPS close to 1.000, while on the road that number falls to .673.
Even with that wrinkle, he’d still be an upgrade over Dominic Smith and Mike Yastrzemski. The Braves would probably prefer a right-handed bat, but Soderstrom’s production makes him a name to watch if Atlanta and Oakland start talking seriously.
In Other News...
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 🡒]