We are slowly inching toward the trade deadline, and there’s no doubt the Braves will be buyers — potentially bigger buyers than we’ve ever seen under this regime.
Atlanta’s farm system is in better shape than it’s been in years, they have $15 million left over from the Jurickson Profar suspension, and the roster has some obvious areas that can be upgraded. I’ve already covered potential National League sellers and a trade target from each — you can find that piece below — but the more intriguing options are in the American League.
Detroit Tigers — Tarik Skubal
If Skubal comes back healthy, he’ll be the biggest name moved at this year’s deadline — and it won’t be close. The Tigers have the worst record in the American League, are already 11.5 games back of the Guardians, and are highly unlikely to re-sign him in the offseason.
The Braves haven’t typically been the team that goes all-in on big-name rentals under Anthopoulos, and that’s unlikely to change, but the prospect cost to acquire Skubal isn’t going to be as absurd as some think. Atlanta also has a logjam of young starting pitchers, and not all of them are going to have rotation spots. The pieces are there to make something of this magnitude work, and the thought of a playoff rotation headlined by Chris Sale and Tarik Skubal — arguably the two best pitchers on the planet right now — will have Anthopoulos at least picking up the phone.
Boston Red Sox — Aroldis Chapman
The Red Sox just can’t seem to string wins together, and they’re falling further out of the race by the day. They’re not confirmed sellers just yet, but they’re trending hard in that direction — and they have plenty of intriguing names to move.
The most realistic target is Aroldis Chapman, who is on the final year of his deal. He’s been the best reliever in baseball since the start of last season, posting a 1.03 ERA over 85 appearances. The Braves already have a tremendous bullpen and could stand pat and be just fine — but there hasn’t been a bullpen in baseball history that should pass on this version of Chapman.
Minnesota Twins — Byron Buxton
By now you’ve heard about the Braves being connected to Byron Buxton at last year’s deadline. The star outfielder declined to waive his no-trade clause for anyone, but there’s belief that’s changed as he’s expressed a desire to play for a contender.
Atlanta has had a hole in left field for years. If they somehow manage to add a talent like Buxton, this becomes one of the most dangerous offenses we’ve seen in a long time.
Baltimore Orioles — Taylor Ward
Buxton would be the big swing, but Taylor Ward wouldn’t be a bad consolation prize — a right-handed hitting outfielder who could platoon with Mike Yastrzemski. Ward has just two home runs on the season, but he hit 36 of them a year ago, and despite the power outage he’s still managed a .757 OPS and 1.4 WAR. Not the sexiest acquisition, but one that would help round out the lineup in a meaningful way.
Los Angeles Angels — Jose Soriano
The Angels are one of the most poorly run organizations in sports, perpetually refusing to sell off their good players and commit to a rebuild, which has kept them in the cellar for the better part of a decade. So would they actually consider trading Jose Soriano with a couple of years remaining on his deal? Probably not — but they absolutely should.
Soriano is one of the best pitchers in baseball that nobody talks about, purely because of the team he plays for. He has a filthy arsenal and owns a 2.65 ERA on the season. Moving him now would bring back a king’s ransom, and the Braves should be all over it if he becomes available. He’s the kind of cost-controlled ace worth moving multiple top prospects to acquire.
Houston Astros — Bryan King
If the Astros end up selling, they have a number of compelling names that could be dealt — headlined by Yordan Alvarez and Jeremy Peña. But trading Alvarez with years left on his deal seems far-fetched, and the Braves making a massive swing for a shortstop feels equally unlikely. So how about a quality left-handed reliever with several years of team control?
Bryan King has been closing games for Houston this season and has been quietly excellent since entering the league, posting a 2.71 ERA over 118 appearances. Adding another southpaw to the bullpen is one of Atlanta’s most pressing needs as the deadline approaches — and King would be a fantastic fit.
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(Photo by Frank Jansky/Icon Sportswire)