3 offseason trades the Braves can make to get back to the NLCS in 2021

The Braves have some serious work to do this offseason

The Atlanta Braves were one win away from the World Series, as the combination of Ozzie Albies, Freddie Freeman, and Ronald Acuña Jr. had Brian Snitker’s squad humming against a superior Los Angeles Dodgers team. However, this team was not perfectly constructed, and those flaws ended up weighing too heavily on the Braves as they choked away another lead.

The Braves added another series to Atlanta’s long list of postseason disappointments, as they allowed the Dodgers to win three straight games and represent the National League in the World Series.

The Braves might’ve once again ended up on the wrong end of a postseason failure, but this team could easily end up right back here provided they make a handful of tweaks around this roster.

3. Add a veteran starting pitcher

The Braves’ rotation was a hot mess for most of the season, as the likes of Max Fried and late arriver Ian Anderson could only do so much as the Braves cycled through prospects and veterans alike in search of consistency. The Braves certainly had the right idea stocking up on pitching prospects like Kyle Wright and Bryse Wilson, but their performance over the course of the last year should get the Braves rightfully concerned about how high their ceiling truly is. Flipping them in the name of a veteran is the best way to go about things this offseason.

Cole Hamels made just one start for the Braves, and Atlanta expecting anything out of a 37-year-old coming off of a major injury would be extremely unwise. The Braves don’t need to sell the farm in the name of getting a game-changer given the presence of Fried and Anderson. They just need a reliable innings-eater in the middle of the rotation with postseason experience that won’t cost several top prospects. Rather than starting middle-relievers or failed draft picks like Wright, Atlanta can go with a more stable option.