Key Points
Bullet point summary by AI
- The Atlanta Braves are exploring upgrades to their rotation and shortstop position ahead of the trade deadline.
- Each proposed deal involves multiple top prospects, highlighting the high cost of landing established stars at this stage.
- The Braves must weigh immediate playoff contention against long-term roster building with these significant prospect packages.
The Atlanta Braves lead the NL East by 5.5 games entering Saturday's action, putting them in prime position to buy at this year's trade deadline. In an ideal world, not only would they bolster their rotation, which looks quite iffy right now beyond Chris Sale, but they'd add another bat as well — preferably one that can play shortstop.
While they won't trade for Tarik Skubal, Joe Ryan and Zach Neto in one trade deadline swoop, all three of these stars are realistic targets for Atlanta. Here's what proposals for these three players might look like.
Braves acquire Tarik Skubal in mock trade with Tigers
Winners of six of their last nine to continue their push towards the playoffs, it's far from a given that the Detroit Tigers would trade Tarik Skubal at this year's deadline, even with him likely to depart this winter in free agency. It's going to take a lot for the Tigers to move him now, especially with them hovering around in the postseason hunt. Still, this kind of return could be worth their while.
JR Ritchie gives Detroit a starting pitcher they can plug into their rotation right now and conceivably for the next half-decade, if not longer. Eric Hartman has gone from relative afterthought in the Braves organization to the 21st-ranked prospect on FanSided's updated top-100 list. He'd be the crown jewel of the deal. Diego Tornes is more of a throw-in compared to the other two players, and he's a ways away from debuting as an 18-year-old in rookie ball, but he's a terrific athlete and has displayed a ton of bat speed already which gives him a lot of upside.
This would be a lot for the Braves to give up for a rental, but a rotation consisting of a healthy Skubal and Chris Sale would be incredibly tough for any contender to beat in October. It'd place them squarely into the World Series conversation, and as exciting as the players are that they'd be parting with, none of them is a sure thing. Ritchie has barely any big-league experience, Hartman has only had one good half as a prospect (even if it was a historically great half) and Tornes is a teenager who isn't even in Single-A yet.
Braves acquire Joe Ryan in mock trade with Twins
As is the case with Skubal, it's far from a given that Joe Ryan will be made available at the deadline. On one hand, the Minnesota Twins are three games under .500 with a -32 run differential. On the other hand, they're only 3.0 games back of a playoff spot, and even if they don't plan on pushing for a postseason berth this season, Ryan is under control for 2027 as well. But the Twins would only conceivably move him for a haul, and this mock proposal would qualify as that.
AJ Smith-Shawver gives the Twins a controllable starter they can turn to as Ryan's replacement. Smith-Shawver has shown exciting flashes in his big-league stints and has looked great (even hitting triple digits with his fastball) while on his rehab assignment following Tommy John surgery. Cam Caminiti is the 79th-best prospect on FanSided's updated top-100 list, and Alex Lodise is a shortstop who has hit 20 home runs and stolen 15 bases this season. An argument can be made that Caminiti and Lodise are among the five best prospects in Atlanta's system, and Smith-Shawver is another youngster with a lot of upside.
It's a lot for the Braves to give up. I'm higher on Smith-Shawver long-term than I am on Ritchie, and Caminiti has the stuff to be a really solid No. 2 starter one day. With that being said, the Braves should be in win-now mode, and Ryan would not only help them immensely this season but is under control for 2027 as well.
Braves acquire Zach Neto in mock trade with Angels
Rumors in recent days suggest that a Zach Neto trade is not entirely off the table, and that could be something the Braves take advantage of. Sure, there are some questions about his defense, but Neto's bat is among the best at the shortstop position, and he's under control through the 2029 campaign. That makes his price tag awfully high, yet it's one the Braves should consider meeting.
The headliner of this package is Tate Southesine, a 2025 first-round pick who has already hit 12 home runs and stolen 44 bases this season. He's still a couple of years away from debuting, but he could be a foundational piece for the Angels, especially if the power comes around. Briggs McKenzie is another major riser this season; while Southesine was Atlanta's first-round pick last year, McKenzie received the most money of any Braves draft pick. John Gil is another middle-infield prospect who offers the kind of power-and-speed combination teams crave.
Unlike the other packages, the Los Angeles Angels wouldn't be receiving any MLB-ready players. But all three of these prospects are within the top six of Atlanta's system per MLB Pipeline and would be rated even higher in the Angels' system. Three top prospects is a lot to give up for one player, but given Neto's control and the fact that the Braves would be holding onto both Hartman and Caminiti in this mock proposal, this should be worth their while.
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