Braves rumors: 1 dream trade, 1 savvy play, 1 to avoid altogether
The Atlanta Braves are going to be buying at the MLB Trade Deadline, but what are their options for a dream trade, a smarter trade and a non-starter?
Even with a pedestrian month of May, the Atlanta Braves are still very much in the driver’s seat of the NL East and, by some calculations, the National League as a whole. So with the MLB Trade Deadline now just a couple of months away, Alex Anthopoulos has to be looking as to where the club could make some trades to improve the roster and, as such, their World Series chances.
As things currently stand, addressing the pitching staff feels like the most likely option. Michael Soroka’s return and the emergence of Jared Shuster have seemingly stabilized the rotation for now, but it’s still an area where the club to look to upgrade. The bullpen, meanwhile, has been a bit erratic with AJ Minter and Raisel Iglesias on the back end, so that could be the other top priority area to target.
The good news for the Braves is that they should have plenty of options. But the key to the trade deadline is always making the right moves. So let’s break down three Braves trade options, one that would be a dream, one that is a more realistic but savvy move, and one that should be avoided in the best interest of the team.
Braves Rumors: Corbin Burnes would be a dream trade target for Atlanta
Though the Milwaukee Brewers are currently in the top spot in the NL Central, the expectation is that won’t be the case for too much longer. The Brew Crew holds the worst run differential in the division (-24) and their success in terms of wins doesn’t seem like it’s sustainable, especially with the Cardinals appearing to turn it around.
As such, what the Brewers do at the trade deadline is going to be interesting. But they wouldn’t actually trade the ace of their pitching staff, Corbin Burnes, right?
Well, it’s not completely out of the question if they do choose to sell. Even if Burnes, the 2021 NL Cy Young winner, has been one of the best pitchers in baseball over the past four years, his arbitration with Milwaukee got ugly and there was buzz that it could’ve permanently damaged the relationship. Now, with him set for free agency in 2024, the Brewers might be hamstrung in trying to trade their ace in order to avoid losing him for nothing — and doing so this year instead of in a contract year would bring back more value.
That’s where the Braves could swoop in. With their two biggest recent trades for Matt Olson and Sean Murphy, Atlanta has been able to get ascending players — though not on Burnes’ level — still under club control, trade for them, and then subsequently lock them into an extension. It’s obviously worked well and, with Max Fried’s long-term future not settled, adding Burnes as an option in that regard while giving them perhaps the best three-man start of a rotation in MLB would be a phenomenal move.
Of course, if the Brewers are at all inclined to trade Burnes, it’s going to cost an arm and a leg. The Braves don’t have the richest of farm systems and perhaps one of their best assets, Travis d’Arnaud, wouldn’t be of much interest for Milwaukee given that Atlanta sent William Contreras there in the Murphy deal.
But if we’re dreaming and there’s a way to make it work, it wouldn’t get much better than Corbin Burnes for the Braves at the trade deadline.