An abysmal finish has taken a lot of the air out of what was, on the whole, a strong first half for the Braves. But in some ways, it’s better to go through a rough patch now than two weeks before October baseball. The Braves know exactly what needs to be addressed heading into the second half — the problem is that not everything can be fixed by throwing prospect capital at it come the trade deadline.

Can Austin Riley provide anything offensively?

Austin Riley’s decline has been brutal to watch. He’s gone from a perennial MVP candidate to a replacement-level player over the span of three seasons, and while the injuries he’s dealt with the last two years explain some of it, the excuses are starting to run thin the deeper we get into this season.

The Braves aren’t going to bench Riley, no matter how loudly a certain portion of the fan base wants them to. He’s owed far too much money over far too many years for that to even be on the table — but more than that, this team needs the best version of Riley to compete with the National League’s elite. There’s no better third baseman walking through the door at the deadline. The Braves just have to pray he finds some semblance of his old self in the second half. If he does, nobody’s going to remember what happened from late March through July.

Who is going to save the rotation?

The Braves rotation needs a savior — several, really — and the situation only looks bleaker as the season wears on. Alex Anthopoulos pushed all his chips in on rookies and arms returning from serious injuries, and it’s backfired. He’s the only one who can save face at the trade deadline. The Braves have to add at least one frontline starter, but that’s a tall order in its own right, especially in a severe seller’s market.

And if you’re expecting Atlanta to add two impact starters over the next few weeks, I’d suggest waking up from that dream and easing back into reality. Anthopoulos hasn’t acquired a notable starting pitcher at the trade deadline since 2018 — and it’s not as if the Braves haven’t needed rotation help before. I do expect one addition given everything that’s transpired the last few seasons, but the reality is someone internally needs to step up and establish himself as a playoff-caliber starter.

Reynaldo Lopez flashed some encouraging signs heading into the break. Hurston Waldrep did not, though he was probably rushed to the majors in the first place. AJ Smith-Shawver is set to return this month, and Spencer Schwellenbach could be back at some point too. There’s also the option of shifting Didier Fuentes into the rotation for the second half. None of them are proven, and it’s entirely possible they all flop — but the only way the Braves are viewed as legitimate championship contenders is if at least one of them pitches to his full potential.

How will the Braves fix the outfield?

The Braves were dealt a raw hand when Jurickson Profar was suspended for PEDs again right before the start of the season. It forced them to lean on Mike Yastrzemski and Dominic Smith far more than they ever intended, and while each has had his moments, neither is good enough to be starting every day. Atlanta has to upgrade — and aggressively pursuing multiple bats at the deadline should very much be on the table.

It’s best to have options. That’s how the Braves operated in 2021, when they acquired four outfielders following the devastating season-ending injury to Ronald Acuña Jr. Anthopoulos doesn’t need to be chasing All-Stars, even if that would be nice. Two undervalued players with some upside who deepen the roster would do just fine.

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(Photo by Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire)