We are days away from things really starting to heat up ahead of the MLB trade deadline, with the Braves expected to be at the forefront of conversations surrounding most every player who comes available.

There’s a lot of work to be done in Atlanta if this team wants to challenge the Dodgers come October, with starting pitching the top priority. The Braves desperately need a true frontline arm to pair with Chris Sale at the top of the rotation. Without one, it’s hard to imagine a deep postseason run.

Tarik Skubal

Braves receive: Tarik Skubal
Tigers receive: AJ Smith-Shawver, John Gil, and Lucas Braun

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I could have easily swapped in JR Ritchie for AJ Smith-Shawver — that’s probably what most Braves fans would prefer to give up — but if Skubal is available, the competition for his services is going to be immense.

AJ Smith-Shawver is the kind of piece that should really pique Detroit’s interest. He’s super young with a ton of upside, and he’s major-league ready — something the Tigers, who aren’t out of the playoff race, will covet.

John Gil is thrown in as a sweetener, and a pretty good one at that. He’s had a bit of an underwhelming season so far, but the tools are still really exciting. He has incredible range defensively, elite speed on the basepaths, and has really grown into some power. This is a package that should interest Detroit.

Casey Mize

Braves receive: Casey Mize
Tigers receive: JR Ritchie and Alex Lodise

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Casey Mize is another Tigers frontline starter on an expiring deal. He’s not Tarik Skubal, but he shouldn’t be viewed as a consolation prize — he’s amid a breakout campaign in which he owns a 2.70 ERA and 2.59 FIP over 16 starts.

The asking price for Mize will be lower than Skubal’s, but Ritchie and Lodise is still a really intriguing package. The former is another major-league-ready starter who’s already gotten a cup of coffee in the majors, and the latter is a second-round pick from last year who just earned a promotion to High-A Rome after slugging his 21st home run of the season. Not a bad haul for a rental starting arm.

Mize is also the type of pitcher the Braves would have a decent chance of retaining, while Skubal would almost certainly walk at the end of the season.

José Soriano

Braves receive: José Soriano
Angels receive: Eric Hartman, JR Ritchie, and Owen Murphy

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I’ve had my eye on José Soriano since the start of the season, knowing the Angels would likely be sellers and could blow up their entire roster at the deadline. They don’t have to force anything, given he still has two more years of affordable team control remaining, but for the right offer they should be open for business.

Soriano is having a really good season for the Halos — a 3.29 ERA over 22 starts. But I don’t even think that does his stuff justice. Under the wing of Braves pitching coach Jeremy Hefner, he could be a superstar in Atlanta for years to come.

Because Soriano has several more years remaining on his contract, it’s going to take something that blows the Angels away to consider moving him at this deadline. This would be that kind of deal.

Hartman is the top prospect in the Braves organization and ranked inside the top 50 overall. JR Ritchie and Owen Murphy are two major-league-ready starting pitchers who could occupy spots in the Angels’ rotation for years to come. It’s a lot, but that’s the cost of doing business when discussing frontline starters with multiple years of control.

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(Photo by Joe Robbins/Icon Sportswire)