One trade the Braves and Cardinals could make before the MLB All-Star break

This week's series featuring the Atlanta Braves and the St. Louis Cardinals is a huge one for both National League postseason hopefuls. From Atlanta's perspective, they're hoping to get back on track. They've lost six of their past seven games and five of their past six series, seeing their NL East lead shrink to just 3.5 games. As for St. Louis, a win on Sunday snapped a four-game skid, but they've lost three straight series and are now just barely holding onto the third Wild Card spot in the NL.

Both of these teams are trending in the wrong direction and could look to make trades sooner than the August deadline because of that. These mock trades could potentially come to fruition sometime within the next couple of weeks before the All-Star break.

The Braves should look to bolster their rotation ASAP

Offense, or a lack thereof, has been the driving force behind Atlanta's recent struggles, but while they could use a shortstop and/or a left fielder, they're bound to break out of their slump soon, right? I mean, this lineup is too talented to continue to struggle like this, even with Ronald Acuña Jr. on the IL. Because of this, I'd argue their need for a starter might be even greater. That's where this trade for Sonny Gray comes into play.

The Braves are without Spencer Strider, Spencer Schwellenbach and AJ Smith-Shawver for who knows how long, and guys like Reynaldo Lopez, Bryce Elder and Grant Holmes are complete question marks. Even Hurston Waldrep, who was recently activated off the IL, isn't ready to make full starts yet. The Braves need more beyond Chris Sale if they truly want to win this division, and the Boston Red Sox can provide that.

Gray has had a strong year, posting a 2.69 ERA in 15 starts, and he's coming off his best outing of the year against the Yankees. He isn't an ace, but he's a reliable mid-rotation arm, and that's exactly what Atlanta needs. Acquiring him, especially weeks before the deadline, won't come cheap, though, and in this mock trade, the Braves would be parting with quite a bit.

John Gil is a prospect with a ton of helium. He's most known for his blazing speed (he already has 33 stolen bases after swiping 54 bags in 2025), but he's also hit 11 home runs, already nearly doubling his previous high of seven, while playing the entire season in High-A as a 20-year-old. It's hard to find players with the speed and power upside Gil has, and while he's still at least a couple of years away from making it to the majors, he'd be a great get. Adding on a right-hander in Raudy Reyes who sits in triple digits with his fastball and is only 17 years old makes this even harder to turn down.

Reyes, like Gil, is a ways away from debuting, but his upside makes him hard to ignore. He's more of a lottery ticket than Gil, but is a worthwhile one worth pursuing.

This deal makes sense for both sides. The Braves would be acquiring rotation stability they desperately need without parting with Cam Caminiti, JR Ritchie or Eric Hartman, their three best prospects, while Boston would be acquiring high-upside prospects for a soon-to-be 37-year-old who was likely going to have his $30 million mutual option for the 2027 season declined anyway. The Red Sox should be in sell mode even after sweeping the Yankees, and this would be a great way to sell an older asset.

Cardinals can look to sell high on JoJo Romero

As for the Cardinals, I'm less sold on them being buyers. This season was supposed to be a rebuilding year, and while it's been encouraging seeing them get off to such a strong start, they're struggling right now, and with a brutal upcoming schedule (they don't play a team with a losing record until after the All-Star break), they're in danger of falling out of the playoff race completely within the next couple of weeks.

If the Cardinals turn things around, this deal probably doesn't make much sense, but in the event that they continue to struggle, it wouldn't be surprising to see Chaim Bloom look to sell high on his rentals, and JoJo Romero is one of them.

This proposal would send Romero to the New York Yankees in exchange for pitching prospect Henry Lalane in a one-for-one swap. While both fan bases might be against such a deal, there's reason to believe it makes sense for both sides.

From the Cardinals' perspective, they'd be landing Lalane, a once highly touted pitching prospect who is pitching as well as he has in quite some time. A shoulder injury caused his stock to plummet in 2025, and he got off to a slow start to this season, but he's coming off a start in which he allowed just one hit in seven innings with 12 strikeouts, and he's allowed a total of five runs in his last six starts (four of those came in one start, too). Getting Lalane for Romero, a reliever on an expiring contract, could prove to be a coup (albeit there is obvious risk).

While Yankees fans might not want to part with Lalane now that he's healthy and pitching well, he's a 22-year-old in Low-A with an injury history. If they're able to trade him in a one-for-one deal in exchange for JoJo Romero, one of the best left-handed relievers in the sport, why not go for it? Romero is having a bit of a down year this season, but he's been an effective late-game left-hander in St. Louis for several years now, and he's reliable against both left-handed and right-handed hitters.

The Yankees should be trying to win now, and their bullpen is in dire need of reinforcements. The Yankees would be acquiring one of the best relievers available while still holding onto their best prospects like George Lombard Jr., Dax Kilby and Carlos Lagrange, giving them ammo to make other moves.

The Cardinals would be getting a prospect of value for Romero, a reliever who is likely gone after the year anyway, while the Yankees can bolster their World Series odds. It feels like a win-win.

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