The MLB trade deadline is now just a couple of weeks away, and things should really begin to pick up over the next week or so. The Braves are expected to be among the most active clubs and could stand to upgrade a number of areas.
On paper, starting pitching isn’t a clear need in Atlanta. A case could be made that the Braves sport the best rotation in baseball, sending three starters to the All-Star Game. In that same breath, insurance is always welcomed, and Alex Anthopoulos isn’t just focused on this season. The Braves rotation has a lot of questions in 2025 and beyond, thanks to Max Fried‘s pending free agency and Charlie Morton‘s likely retirement. Easing those concerns now while subsequently putting the Braves in a better spot to win the World Series this year should definitely be on the table.
This continues a series where I rank the top five trade targets at each position of need for the Braves. A lot of things will be taken into consideration, but above all, these are guys that I believe could be realistic targets. If you missed the first part to this series, follow the link below.
Braves Top Rotation Trade Targets
5. Cal Quantrill
An 8th overall selection in the 2016 draft, Cal Quantrill hasn’t had the career many envisioned when he was a prospect, but he’s having a more than solid campaign this season for the Rockies, posting a 4.13 ERA over 19 starts. He’s probably not a guy the Braves would be eager to start in a playoff game, Â but he’s cheap and under team control through 2025.
4. Blake Snell
As of now, the Giants are still in the thick of the Wild Card race, but if they fall any further, they could be interested in selling. If that happens, Blake Snell instantly becomes one of the most intriguing names on the market.
A NL Cy Young recipient in 2023, Snell infamously overplayed his hand this offseason in hopes of landing a $200+ million contract. He ended up settling for a two-year, $62 million deal just weeks before the season, which comes with an opt-out after this year.
The hope was that he would turn in another Cy Young type campaign and test free agency again at the end of the season. However, missing all of Spring Training clearly has had its effects. He’s been dismal for most of the year, boasting an unsightly 6.31 ERA over eight starts, but he recently returned from the IL and has looked much more like the guy he was a season ago, tossing 12 scoreless innings with 11 strikeouts.
The opt-out certainly complicates things and comes with some risk if Snell were to get injured in the second half of the season. But if he stays healthy, the Braves rotation would undoubtedly be the best in baseball for the rest of the year, and Anthopoulos could view Blake Snell as a cheaper alternative to Max Fried this upcoming offseason.
3. Tyler Anderson
Anderson just finished off an incredible first half of the season, posting 4.2 WAR and a 2.97 ERA over 19 starts. His 4.69 FIP suggests some severe regression could be around the corner, but the Braves don’t need him to be a top of the rotation guy. He’s also under contract at a more than palatable rate of $13 million for next season.
2. Jack Flaherty
The only reason Jack Flaherty isn’t #1 on this list is because he’s a pending free agent. When looking at potential Braves rotation targets at this year’s trade deadline, it makes much more sense if they come with multiple years of control because Atlanta’s current group of starting pitchers is more than capable of shouldering the load in a potential playoff series. Where things begin to get interesting is next year, when the Braves will need some help.
With that being said, the Braves could be concerned about the longevity of Reynaldo Lopez, and they may not feel totally comfortable starting Charlie Morton or Spencer Schwellenbach in a postseason game. Adding Jack Flaherty would ease all of those concerns.
After several forgettable seasons marred by injuries, Flaherty is all the way back in his first season with the Tigers. He owns a 3.13 ERA, with a WHIP below 1.000, and an 11.3 K/9 over 16 starts. The price won’t be cheap; starting pitchers never are, but the fact that he’s a rental will turn a lot of other clubs away. The Braves could also view Flaherty as a less expensive Max Fried replacement next offseason when both are set to become free agents.
1. Erick Fedde
After struggling with the Washington Nationals for most of his career and playing overseas, Erick Fedde has had a career resurgence in his first season for the White Sox, boasting 4.4 WAR and a 2.99 ERA over the first half of the season. Regression may eventually strike, but he’s a more than capable middle of the rotation guy on a bargain of a contract, signed for just $15 million through 2025. Fedde could provide the insurance the Braves are looking for this year while also solidifying the rotation next year.
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Photo: Leslie Plaza Johnson/Icon Sports
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