The Braves’ need for starting pitching is obvious, but the market may not make this easy.
Atlanta has been pushed into a corner by injuries, some rough regression, and a lack of experience in the rotation, leaving Chris Sale as the only dependable starter on the staff. With the deadline getting closer and plenty of clubs still hanging around the playoff chase, the list of realistic targets is hard to pin down.
One name that fits the Braves on paper is Royals All-Star Michael Wacha. Kansas City is far enough out of the race to consider moving him, while Atlanta is not looking to gut its farm system just to patch a hole. The problem is that Wacha’s contract and overall value could make a deal harder to line up than it looks at first glance.
Wacha’s résumé is better than his profile might suggest. He won NLCS MVP as a rookie in 2013 after throwing 13.2 shutout innings in the series. He made his first All-Star Game two years later, then added a second All-Star nod this season after also representing Team USA in the World Baseball Classic.
Even without ever drawing Cy Young votes, Wacha has been a steady presence for most of his career. His 3.77 ERA this season sits close to his 3.88 career mark, and his 4.00 FIP is only slightly above his 3.97 career FIP. He has posted a bWAR of at least 2.0 in six of his 14 seasons, though he has never gone above 3.2.
That’s the kind of profile that screams middle-of-the-rotation starter, especially for a pitcher in his age-34 season. But the money complicates everything. Wacha is owed $15 million after this season, and his 2028 club option includes escalators that could make the price even steeper.
For Atlanta, there is at least one clear upside: Wacha would fit into next year’s plans. But there’s a flip side, too.
The Braves would be committing $14 million next season to an aging pitcher, plus at least $1 million for the year after because the 2028 club option includes a buyout. That option is currently valued at $14 million, and an innings-pitched incentive could push it up by another $4 million.
Recent trades for comparable starters show how tricky this can get. Last season, the Diamondbacks landed three of the Rangers’ top 15 prospects for Merrill Kelly, who was having a slightly better year than Wacha and was in the final season of his contract. In 2024, the Orioles picked up Zach Eflin from the Rays, who still had $18 million due the following season and a 4.09 ERA at the time, and Tampa Bay got Baltimore’s 10th and 17th prospects plus one player outside the top 30.
Neither Kelly nor Eflin was an All-Star, and it is fair to wonder how much Wacha’s All-Star selection will matter to either side in trade talks. Still, it gives both teams one more point to weigh as they try to settle on value.
And that’s where this could break down. The Braves and Royals may simply not agree on what Wacha is worth, which could send Atlanta looking elsewhere for rotation help.
In Other News...
Braves May Finally Have The Trade Match Fans Have Waited For
The Athletics are reportedly open for business on some of their outfielders, and the timing makes the idea worth watching from Atlantas side. Oaklands goal is straightforward enough, too: it wants young starting pitching in return, which is exactly the kind of currency the Braves have been able to stockpile while trying to patch a lineup that could still use more help in the outfield.
That overlap is what makes this feel more than just another deadline rumor. Atlanta has several young arms it could put into a deal, giving the front office a rare chance to turn pitching depth into a bat without stripping the roster bare, and the As willingness to listen keeps the door open. The question now is whether the Braves are ready to make that kind of move, and which arm they would be willing to part with if they do. [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 🡒]