The trade deadline is less than 12 hours away, and the Braves, like a lot of teams, have remained relatively quiet, making two minor additions. Pierce Johnson has looked very promising in his first three outings out of the bullpen since being acquired from the Rockies, and Nicky Lopez was brought in from Kansas City on Sunday to serve as a backup utility infielder. Both could end up being pivotal pieces to another run at a World Series, but Braves fans are still dying for that major splash.
Alex Anthopoulos has made several 11th hour deals this time of year as general manager of the Braves, so I wouldn’t count one out today, and their focus seems to be on bolstering the pitching staff, both the rotation and bullpen.
Braves — baseball’s best team — is looking for pitching, including back-end bullpen help. Hader is likely unvailable and Bednar not too likely to move, but if anyone can figure anything out, it’s the Braves.
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) July 31, 2023
News: Max Fried could return to the Braves rotation as early as this weekend at Wrigley Field.
The Braves also are optimistic that Kyle Wright will rejoin the active roster during the regular season.
Braves continue looking for a high-impact starter via trade.@MLBNetwork
— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) July 31, 2023
I wouldn’t totally count out a move for another bat, but with so few options and so many buyers, it feels unlikely. It also helps that Marcell Ozuna and Eddie Rosario have performed better as of late.
The options for pitching aren’t much better, but a team I will be watching today is the Padres. After sweeping the Rangers this past weekend, reports suggested they would end up buying rather than selling. However, a loss last night to the lowly Rockies might knock some sense into them. They are three games under .500 and five games back in the Wild Card race; they have no business buying, and they have a ton of pieces that could intrigue contending teams, particularly Blake Snell and Josh Hader.
Another team to keep a close eye on is the Tigers. They are selling; it’s just a matter of time before they start parting ways with their pieces. Two starters that will 100% be dealt today are Michael Lorenzen and Eduardo Rodriguez. Both of them could help the Braves improve their rotation, and the Tigers could also part ways with some bullpen pieces.
It’s been a relatively quiet trade deadline for most teams, which was expected with so few sellers, but things can always change in an instant. The Braves are in a position where standing pat isn’t the worst thing in the world, but that’s not typically Alex Anthopoulos’ MO this time of year, and there are certainly places where this team can improve.
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Photo: David J. Griffin/Icon Sportswire
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