For the first time in nearly a decade, the Braves will be sellers at the trade deadline instead of buyers.
Even though Atlanta doesn’t seem to have a ton of valuable trade chips, the club does have a few things working in its favor. Most notably, it’s been a seller’s market ever since MLB expanded the playoffs, leaving a club like the Braves in a position with leverage.
That leverage can be used to take advantage of some desperate teams, including several from a list of the most desperate by ESPN’s Buster Olney.
1. New York Yankees
No club has more pressure on it than the Yankees. They’re the New York Yankees and are coming off a campaign in which they returned to the championship. Losing Juan Soto certainly plays a factor, but, as Olney points out, it’s more about the George Steinbrenner Doctrine: If you don’t win the World Series, you’ve had a bad year.
New York needs an arm for the sixth and seventh innings, and the Braves have a couple that could be of service — Pierce Johnson and Aaron Bummer. The Yanks could also use another starter, which the Braves don’t have any obvious candidates to trade, but what about Grant Holmes?
Selling high on Holmes could be smart. Grant Holmes has been one of the few bright spots for the Braves this season, and with all of the questions surrounding the pitching staff in 2026, it wouldn’t make much sense to trade him. However, I’m not crazy to be fearful of an injury. Holmes has never pitched this much in his entire career.
Granted, it would have to be a very attractive offer to part ways with a cost-controllable starting pitcher that can move to the bullpen if needed.
2. Philadelphia Phillies
The Phillies have been knocking on the door of a World Series for the past several postseasons. Their President of Baseball of Operations Dave Dombrowski is aggressive and knows this core in Philly might not get many more cracks at raising the Commissioner’s Trophy. They are desperate.
Well, a trade with their division rivals is incredibly unlikely, but if the Braves wanted to hold them over a barrel for a reliever, they certainly could. Aaron Bummer, Pierce Johnson, and Raisel Iglesias could all interest the Phillies.
3. Detroit Tigers
In a different vein, the Tigers could be the best team in baseball, but unlike the Phillies and Yankees, the Tigers haven’t been in this position in a while. A lot of people think it’s time for Detroit to make a push for its first championship in more than four decades.
The Tigers have a horse in Tarik Skubal, but their bullpen needs a couple of high-leverage relievers, which puts the Braves in a position to dangle Iglesias, Johnson, and Bummer in front of Scott Harris.
4. Seattle Mariners
The Mariners are in the same boat as the Tigers. The last time Seattle won a playoff series was at the turn of the century and they have never reached a World Series. The rotation is talented, Cal Raleigh leads an improved offense, thanks to Braves old friend Kevin Seitzer, but like every team on this list, they could use bullpen help.
Rasiel Iglesias probably isn’t going to be acquired to be a closer, but he could be a setup man. Chase recently predicted that the Braves would trade him to the Mariners, who have a dominant closer in Andres Munoz, but in Seattle, Iglesias could slide out of the closer role and still provide some high-leverage stuff.
—
David J. Griffin/Icon Sportswire
