Let's discuss the pros and cons of what the Atlanta Braves could do at the MLB trade deadline.
At 60-29, the Atlanta Braves have the best record in baseball heading into the All-Star Game.
Although the five-time reigning NL East winners were certainly on a shortlist of teams that could realistically win the World Series at the start of the year, nobody anticipated that they would be hotter than the freaking sun since Memorial Day weekend. It was a June to remember for Braves Country, as Atlanta began to run roughshod on pretty much any team the Braves would be facing.
With the trade deadline less than a month out, let's discuss what they should … and shouldn't do.
Pros of Atlanta Braves making a move at MLB trade deadline
The pros of adding players at the deadline are obvious. Atlanta is a serious World Series contender, so any move they make in the short-term would be justified by ownership and its rabid fanbase. The good news is Atlanta does not have a ton of holes to begin with. Its lineup is stacked. The starting rotation is doing just fine, and is getting healthier. The big area to address is the bullpen…
If the Braves were to make a move, that would be the area most people would be in favor of. Obviously, the farm system is not as deep as it used to be, but the Braves sure know how to develop their players at the minor-league level. Going after an arm or two to help get the bullpen over the top could make this team borderline unstoppable. Of course, you cannot overspend here.
Overall, the biggest pro towards making a trade deadline addition is that general manager Alex Anthopoulos would be assuring all of Braves Country that he wants to go and win it all this fall. He has made more good moves than bad over the years, so in Anthopoulos we trust. I don't expect him to make a ton of them, but if the right piece or two is out there, then I would say go for it, man.
Now, let's take a look at the cons of the Braves possibly making a move at the MLB trade deadline.
Cons of Atlanta Braves making a move at MLB trade deadline
There are three big cons when it comes to making a move at the deadline for the Braves. The first is it might actually disrupt the clubhouse chemistry. Admittedly, very rarely does this happen. Usually, it is the other way around. Look no further than the moves Atlanta made two summers ago to land Joc Pederson and company. Of course, you can get a Javy Baez to the New York Mets…
The second is all about the farm system. Because the Braves have been so good for so long, it is not as deep as it once was. Depending on how the market looks heading into the deadline, the Braves may have to pay a premium to get a quality relief pitcher, back-end starter or whomever. In the short-term, it is justified, but the wrong move could set the back a bit if they don't go on a run.
Lastly, a high-profile move we are all probably expecting out of the Braves could backfire. Although they hit on pretty much every deal made in July 2021, the Richard Rodriguez trade with the Pittsburgh Pirates was nothing to write home about. We largely forgot about it because adding Pederson, Adam Duvall, Eddie Rosario and Jorge Soler all paid out in immediate dividends.
Just remember that every time you make a deal, there are winners and there are losers to be had.
Pros of Atlanta Braves not making a move at MLB trade deadline
One pro that really stands out by not making a move at the deadline is it would give the team great confidence as is. It would be like Anthopoulos saying, "Oh, you're all good. No need for an upgrade." As if this team needed any more confidence, getting it from their general manager would only certainly help. I think the other key part is the Braves are getting healthier as well.
See, Max Fried will be back soon to rejoin the rotation. One would think Kyle Wright will be back at some point as well. All the while, other guys such as Michael Soroka, AJ Smith-Shawver and Kolby Allard have pitched decently at times in between starts featuring Bryce Elder, Charlie Morton and Spencer Strider. As long as AJ Minter doesn't go down in the bullpen, the Braves will be just fine.
The last other pro of not making a trade is it gives the farm system more time to accumulate talent and add depth. Should there be an injury in the second half of the season, Atlanta will have the necessary resources internally to call a guy up if the Braves need to. You can't do that if you send him over to another franchise. This is why I think there is a chance the Braves do stand pat.
And let's take a look at the downside of not potentially making a move at the deadline for Atlanta.
Cons of Atlanta Braves not making a move at MLB trade deadline
Well, I think the downsides of not making a move are pretty substantial. First, it gives off the impression that Anthopoulos was asleep at the wheel, even though he most certainly was not. Regardless, the fanbase would react as such. While holding onto players in the minors could be great to offset injuries, what happens if the rotation or the bullpen lets you down in late October?
If the bats all go to sleep at the worst possible, well, that's just terrible luck. Given how dominant the Braves offense has been, you would just have to live with that worst-case scenario. If the rotation is suspect down the stretch, it would provide Atlanta a great chance to get got by an inferior opponent in October. That would be awful, only to be outdone by a leaky bullpen of sorts…
And I think that right there is the most important question Anthopoulos and all invested fans need to ask: Can we live with the bullpen as is? It has gotten better as the Braves have played fantastic baseball of late, but I would be lying to you if I thought it could regularly protect one-to-three-run leads at critical points in the game. To lose in October because of the bullpen would be pure agony.
Now that we have the pros and cons of both trade deadline scenarios, what should the Braves do?
Here is what the Atlanta Braves should do at the MLB trade deadline
I don't run the Braves, I just love them. If I were Alex Anthopoulos, here is what I would do. I don't think there is really any need to address with the lineup presently. Six position players made the All-Star Game. For the most part, everyone who plays regularly is either in the midst of a great part of the season for them or have played well earlier in the year. Plus, Atlanta has some depth.
As far as the rotation is concerned, I am a bit reluctant to adding an arm, simply because of the cost to pick up a back-end starter for the second half of a season. With Elder, Morton and Strider pitching well, all you need is a fourth guy to join the party for the Braves to be in a position to win every postseason series they enter. The best part is Fried, Wright or even Soroka could be the guy.
However, if I were to make a move or two in the coming weeks, it would be to address the bullpen. I cannot quite put my finger on what the Braves need, but I think an arm or two to help out in the sixth, seventh or eighth innings should do the trick. All this would do is move proven relief pitchers in the Atlanta bullpen down a peg, only adding to the depth of it. It must be the right piece, though.
Ultimately, I expect for Anthopoulos to make a few moves, but nothing to the caliber of what he did in 2021 to rebuild the once woebegone outfield on the fly, or get a player of Raisel Iglesias' magnitude to shore up the back-end of the bullpen for years to come. However, I am coming to grips with the fact that Atlanta may not make a move at all. Let's just hope that it all works out.
If Atlanta were to make a move at the deadline, it would have to be adding depth to the bullpen.
