Braves painful next roster move could force Alex Anthopoulos’ hand at trade deadline

After getting shelled for the second time in as many MLB starts, the Atlanta Braves have seen enough of 2023 first-round pick Hurston Waldrep for now. The club has demoted him back to the minors.

Shortly after Atlanta's 8-6 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays on Sunday, Mark Bowman of MLB.com reported that Waldrep will return to Triple-A. The right-hander struggled mightily on the mound, allowing six earned runs in just 3.1 innings pitched, marking consecutive brutal outings.

While it is unfortunate, the reality is that Waldrep wasn't ready for the majors and initially got called up by the Braves out of necessity. He started only once at Gwinnett before Atlanta made the overzealous move to elevate him. While they could benefit from a backend rotational starter, the 22-year-old proved he isn't ready to answer that bell -- this was a premature decision.

So, now what? Where do the Braves and general manager and president of baseball operations, Alex Anthopoulos, go from here? Do they continue searching for internal solutions to their pitching woes? Or did the failed attempt in Waldrep put the front office in a position to make an external addition?

Braves demoting Hurston Waldrep could force Alex Anthopoulos’ hand at the trade deadline

Waldrep failed to complete four innings in his two big league starts. Moreover, he surrendered 13 runs to the Washington Nationals and Rays, and neither boast particularly world-beating offenses. His 16.71 ERA and three-to-eight strikeout-to-walk ratio reflect how abysmal the youngster has fared for the Braves, prompting them to option him.

However, Waldrep isn't the first unequipped pitching prospect the Braves have turned to this season. So, David O'Brien of The Athletic believes Atlanta will look to rectify the matter ahead of the trade deadline on July 30. 

"Rather than keep cycling kids who aren’t ready or fringe major-league starters through the rotation, the Braves seem likely to pursue a starter," said O'Brien.

Atlanta's need for consistent pitching is more significant than ever right now. The Braves lost reigning National League MVP outfielder Ronald Acuña Jr. to a devastating season-ending torn ACL. To withstand the loss of arguably their most productive offensive player, the team must pick up the slack elsewhere, including their staff of hurlers.

As O'Brien points out, Chris Sale, Max Fried, and Reynaldo López are "as solid a frontline trio" as baseball has. Nonetheless, there has been uncertainty in Atlanta beyond that. Will Anthopoulos make a deal after the Waldrep blunder?