The Atlanta Braves have been one of the more disappointing teams in baseball this year. In fact, they came into the year with some of the better odds to win the World Series according to almost any sportsbook you looked at.
But a few months into the year, Atlanta is seemingly out of postseason contention. Obviously, anything can change at any moment, especially if the Braves can put together a 10 or 12 game winning streak. But at this moment, it seems like they're headed for the bottom of the National League and the fanbase needs to brace for impact.
Still, it doesn't seem like the front office is ready to enter sell mode as Atlanta has a lot of potential trade chips who aren't being mentioned ahead of the trade deadline this season. Who will the Braves regret holding onto this season?
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4. Chris Sale, Braves starting pitcher
The Braves are seemingly uncompetitive this season despite having a loaded roster with some very talented pitchers. The leader of this pitching staff has been reignin Cy Young winner Chris Sale. But at the age of 36, do the Braves entertain the idea of trading Sale before his contract runs out. General manager Alex Anthopoulos says no.
But why not?
If (and this is a big if) the Braves wave the white flag on the season, Sale's value is only going to go down. He's not going to pitch like a Cy Young winner forever. Atlanta has a club option that it'll absolutely accept for his 37-year-old season, but after that, Sale's likely gone. And there's no guarantee he can continue this production into next season.
The lefty's value will never be higher than it is right now. The Braves could win the World Series with Sale next season, but if they don't do that, they're likely going to be stuck losing him for nothing when they could trade him this season for a King's Ransom.
Now, this is a big leap to make. Trading your ace isn't easy to do, especially for a franchise like the Braves. And I'm not saying the Braves need to trade Sale without hesitation, but they should at least entertain the idea if the right offer comes up.
3. Braves DH, Marcell Ozuna
Looking at the Braves roster and payroll, there's one man who jumps off the page as the perfect trade chip: designated hitter Marcell Ozuna. Ozuna is the perfect trade piece for a few reasons. Let's dive a little deeper.
First of all, he's on an expiring deal. Any player on a potentially selling team who's also on an expiring deal is an immediate trade candidate. But the idea gets even better if you consider the Braves' likelihood of re-signing him in free agency. It's rather unlikely the Braves, a team with a lot of money committed to a lot of different players, will give Ozuna the best contract on the market.
He's still incredibly talented and productive, but at the end of the day, he's going to be 35-year-old designated hitter next season. That's not the kind of player the Braves will likely look to commit a lot of money to as they turn their franchise back around.
Instead, Atlanta could flip him for some prospects this season, but it doesn't seem like that will be the case.
2. Braves relief pitcher, Raisel Iglesias
The Braves are in a similar spot with Raisel Iglesias as they are with Ozuna. Their situations are similar though, not the same. The similarities are both players are key contributors to a lot of Braves wins and they're both on expiring contracts.
But Ozuna is playing well this season while Iglesias has been hit or miss. If Atlanta was to look to trade its closer this season, it would be making the move while the righty was at his lowest value yet. But what's the other option?
If they hold onto him in a lost year, they're likely to lose him in free agency anyway. At that point, trading him would make more sense. Given how poorly he's thrown at times, it's unlikely the Braves will be eager to pay market value to retain him either way.
But his name hasn't been mentioned in a lot of trade rumors yet. Atlanta needs to shop him or it will regret it in the offseason.
1. Braves SP, Bryce Elder
While the first three players on this list are all aging veterans on their way out of the league, the last player is a young prospect with multiple years of cheap team control left on his deal. Pitcher Bryce Elder has been a popular name in trade rumors for the last two years, but it's typically in a deal where the Braves would acquire a win-now player.
Given how Elder has began performing well again, the Braves could trade him now before he regresses back to the player he was last season.
Atlanta has enough pitching depth in the big leagues and the farm system to comfortably trade Elder, especially if they hold onto Sale. If the Braves decide to hold onto Elder this season, they're running the risk that he'll regress, lose all his value, and never gain it back.