The Braves know what they need at the deadline: a left-handed starter. What they do not need is to get swept into the kind of bidding war that comes with Tarik Skubal.
Skubal is the name that jumps off the page. He is younger, dominant, and the kind of pitcher who could swing the National League race if he actually hits the market.
That is exactly why the price would be brutal. Every contender would want him, and the cost could climb to a level Atlanta simply should not chase.
There is a cleaner path, and Robbie Ray is the one that makes the most sense.
Ray does not bring the same headline value as Skubal, but the Braves should be focused on production, not noise. They need a veteran who can steady the rotation, miss bats, and give them another option once October arrives. Ray fits that job without forcing Atlanta to surrender a franchise-changing prospect haul.
The Braves have to be realistic about where they stand. They are good enough to eye the postseason, but not so deep that they can shrug off rotation risk.
One injury, one slump, or one unfavorable matchup can tilt a playoff series in a hurry. Adding a left-handed starter would give the staff a different look and make it less predictable.
Ray also checks the usual deadline boxes contenders want. He has experience.
He has swing-and-miss stuff. He has been in big moments.
He does not need to arrive as the ace. He just needs to make Atlanta tougher to beat.
That is the real choice here: blockbuster or solution. Skubal would be the blockbuster.
Ray would be the solution. And sometimes the solution is the better move.
The Braves should absolutely see what it would take to land Skubal, because every contender should. But if the Tigers ask for a package that strips Atlanta’s future, the Braves need to move on.
A left-handed starter makes sense. Robbie Ray makes even more sense than diving into a deadline auction they do not have to win.
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Braves Fans Wont Love Walt Weiss Take On The NL East Race
June has not been kind to the Braves, and the cushion in the NL East has thinned to three games after a stretch of losses that included Sundays 3-2 setback to the Giants. Atlanta has not been able to pair enough clean defense with timely offense, and the recent skid has opened the door just enough for the Phillies to inch closer in the standings.
Walt Weiss did not sound overly worried about the race, brushing off the shrinking margin as something that still feels early in the season. Even with Chris Sale giving Atlanta a strong outing, the Braves have not consistently backed up their pitching, and the lack of run production has become a more pressing concern as the month has worn on. [Read more 🡒]
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Braves Lefty Just Answered A Big Question About His Fast Rise
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His third start at the level offered a much better answer. McKenzie settled in with eight strikeouts in 4.2 innings and finished by retiring six of his final 10 batters via punchouts, a sharp rebound that dropped his season ERA to 2.08 over 26 innings. The stuff still points to more growth ahead, too, with a curveball that misses plenty of bats, a fastball sitting in the 90-95 mph range and a low-80s changeup giving Atlanta plenty to work with as his rise keeps testing the limits of how quickly he can move. [Read more 🡒]