With the trade deadline three weeks away, ESPN’s Jeff Passan singled out two very different answers for the Braves: one realistic pitching target and one pure fantasy at shortstop.
The more practical fit is Freddy Peralta, a name that would make sense for Atlanta because the Braves are expected to be in on just about every starting pitcher who hits the market. Passan pointed to Peralta as a strong match, even with the caveat that his season in Queens has not matched the level he showed a year ago.
Peralta’s numbers are down across the board this season, sitting at a 4.68 ERA, 4.29 FIP, and 8.8 strikeouts per nine innings. That’s a sharp drop from last year, when he led baseball in wins, posted a 2.70 ERA with 10.4 strikeouts per nine, and finished fifth in the NL Cy Young race. Even so, the track record is enough to keep him in demand.
“And even if certainty isn’t exactly what Freddy Peralta has provided for the Mets this season, there’s enough history there for Atlanta to treat him as the upgrade he would be,” Passan wrote. “Maybe it’s Peralta, and maybe it’s Michael Wacha, and maybe it’s one of a dozen other starting pitchers available. Whatever the Braves choose, their needs happen to align with the market’s clear strength, and there are fewer sure bets at this deadline than Atlanta getting a starting pitcher.”
There is, though, an obvious complication: Peralta is with the New York Mets. That alone makes the idea awkward, because the Braves and Mets sit near the top of the rivalry list, and a deal like that would be a hard sell from New York’s side.
Passan’s dream fit was even more ambitious: CJ Abrams. Shortstop has been a problem area in Atlanta for five years, and this season only sharpened that issue, even after the Braves committed $20 million to the position by signing Ha-Seong Kim.
Abrams, a Georgia product, has grown into one of the best shortstops in the game and is on pace for nearly 40 home runs and 120 RBIs. If the Nationals were ever to make him available, Atlanta would have reason to get involved.
But that’s where the dream starts to fall apart. Washington is an up-and-coming team and would have little incentive to move its star shortstop, especially not to a division rival. The price would also be enormous.
And even if the Nationals somehow entertained the idea, Abrams still does not look like the kind of shortstop the Braves would pay top dollar for. His bat is elite, but his defense is a problem, and Passan noted he would probably be better suited for a position change later on as he gets older.
For Atlanta, it’s a fun idea - just not a real one. There’s no path to Abrams in a Braves uniform by August.
In Other News...
Braves May Already Have Their Best Shortstop Answer In House
Cristian Dubn has quietly become one of the more useful bats in the Braves mix, showing up near the top of the club in batting average and OPS while adding the kind of situational production that tends to matter in October-style baseball. His work has been especially notable with two outs and runners in scoring position, and he has also given Atlanta valuable defensive flexibility by handling shortstop and several other spots around the diamond.
That versatility is part of why Dubn has started to look like a real answer for a team still sorting out its long-term shortstop picture. The Braves have other options in the conversation, and rookie Jim Jarvis has done enough to stay on the radar, but he still profiles more as a utility piece than a clear everyday solution. With the position unsettled beyond this season, Dubns all-around value is making the decision harder, not easier. [Read more 🡒]
Braves Deadline Focus Just Shifted To A Move Fans Have Wanted
Atlantas position atop the NL East has held up even through a rough June, and a recent series win over the Pirates offered a reminder that the Braves are still very much in the mix. But the bigger picture around the club has shifted toward what comes next, with Alex Anthopoulos already signaling that Atlanta expects to be active at the trade deadline and that pitching help will be a priority.
The emphasis on starting pitching makes sense for a team trying to steady itself for the stretch run, and the market could push the Braves toward a familiar veteran type if they decide to make a move. Sonny Gray has surfaced as one name to watch, giving fans a reason to keep an eye on how aggressively Atlanta pursues rotation upgrades over the next few weeks. [Read more 🡒]