The Braves are being linked to more than one fallback plan as the trade deadline approaches, and that alone says plenty about how Atlanta is approaching this week.
If the Tarik Skubal buzz proves real, Alex Anthopoulos is expected to keep pushing hard even if the Braves miss out on the Tigers ace. But Atlanta’s rotation remains the clear priority, and while bullpen help and another bat - preferably right-handed - are also on the radar, the pitching market is where the focus has stayed.
According to MLB insider Jon Heyman, the Braves are believed to like Angels starter Jose Soriano and are thought to be considering Tigers right-hander Casey Mize.
Trade deadline notes, per @JonHeyman:
• Pirates among teams in on Luke Weaver
• Yankees like George Springer but prefer OF
• Rangers considering catching help, back-end SP
• Braves believed to like Jose Soriano, thought to be considering Casey Mize pic.twitter.com/iYO33ZyeTi
- Underdog MLB (@UnderdogMLB) August 1, 2026
That pairing makes sense for a front office that rarely shows its hand. Atlanta has a long track record of working in the shadows, and even with all the noise around Skubal, there’s no clear public read on exactly which arms the club is chasing.
Mize looks like the cleaner backup option if the Braves want a rental. He was the No. 1 overall pick, has dealt with injury issues over the course of his career, and put together a mostly healthy season last year.
This season, he owns a 2.70 ERA and 2.58 FIP in 86.2 innings. He may not be a true headline grabber, but he would give Atlanta a useful arm without forcing the club to gut its farm system.
One thing to watch: his velocity has dipped recently, and that could be a real concern.
Soriano sits in a different lane entirely. He profiles more like a possible front-of-the-rotation piece and is under team control through 2028.
That kind of upside and control is going to cost a lot, though, and Soriano’s issue is obvious - he walks too many hitters right now. Even so, the appeal is easy to see.
If Atlanta is in on him, it likely believes there are adjustments to be made that could help him throw more strikes.
More names are expected to surface as the weekend unfolds, but Soriano and Mize both fit the kind of pitching help Atlanta appears to be targeting. With the deadline closing in, they’re two names worth watching closely.
In Other News...
Braves Just Cleared Two Roster Spots For A Bigger Deadline Shift
The Braves used the deadline to shuffle the margins of their roster, dealing catcher Joey Bart to the White Sox and sending outfielder Eli White to the Red Sox in separate moves. In return, Atlanta picked up right-hander Duncan Davitt and minor league reliever Tyler Uberstine, with the latter optioned to Triple-A Gwinnett, a sign these were as much about clearing space as adding immediate help.
Those openings matter because the roster is not done changing. Atlanta has a potential return behind the plate looming in Sean Murphy, and another outfield addition in Lane Thomas could soon fit into the mix as well, giving the club a little more flexibility for the stretch run. For a team trying to line up the right pieces after deadline day, the next round of moves may end up being the more interesting part of this one. [Read more 🡒]
Braves Catching Picture Is Finally Changing At The Right Time
Joey Barts brief run as Atlantas backup catcher has come to an end after the Braves and White Sox struck a trade that sends him to Chicago for rookie right-hander Duncan Davitt. Bart had been filling in behind the plate for Atlanta, but the clubs catching picture is now shifting with the roster moving toward a different look.
Davitt arrives with a little bit of big league experience already, having made two major league appearances with Chicago before the deal. For the Braves, the rookie is expected to work out of the bullpen, giving them another arm as they reshape the back end of the staff and prepare for the next step in the catching rotation. [Read more 🡒]
Braves Take Another Rotation Gamble With Tyler Mahle
The Braves dipped back into the rotation market with another move aimed at stabilizing the back end of their staff, acquiring right-hander Tyler Mahle from the Giants for right-hander Anthony Molina. Mahle has logged 18 starts this season in San Francisco, and while the results have been uneven, Atlanta is clearly banking on a change of scenery and a different voice to get more out of him down the stretch.
Jeremy Hefner now gets the challenge of helping Mahle sharpen things up in Atlanta, where the Braves have made it a priority to keep searching for usable innings. Molina had only thrown five innings for the club in 2026, so this is the kind of deal that says the Braves are willing to keep tinkering if they think there is still a path to more reliable starting help. [Read more 🡒]