MLB Rumors: Braves galaxy brain, Dodgers-Bichette question, Orioles cold water

The MLB trade deadline is beginning to heat up. Rumors are flying left and right with each, and every team being forced to pick a side, whether they're selling and rebuilding or buying and contending.

The first official trade of July has been landed, sending Aaron Civale over to the Milwaukee Brewers in exchange for infield prospect Gregory Barrios.

Other than that, all that we have are rumors and discussions on trade ideas and trade fits. Names like Mason Miller, Bo Bichette, Luis Robert Jr. and plenty of others are being thrown around. As of now, nobody is a guarantee to be moved, but the picture is getting clearer by the day.

MLB Rumors: Jazz Chisholm Jr. discussed as a potential fit with the Braves

Jim Bowden of The Athletic recently answered some fan questions in a massive article. One of the fans posed a rather interesting question, throwing out the idea of Jazz Chisholm to the Atlanta Braves. Chisholm could play outfield as a platoon player against righties and slide into the infield to replace Arcia at shortstop against lefties. Bowden answered below:

"I’m a fan of Chisholm but think his best position is second base and if I’m Atlanta, I would have no problem moving Ozzie Albies over to shortstop because he’s a plus defender there too. I do like Chisholm’s fit with the Braves and think their clubhouse culture would do him wonders."

If the Braves can offer up what the Marlins are looking for in exchange for their young star, this trade makes a ton of sense. Chisholm is a huge upgrade over Arcia, and it would allow Albies to play shortstop everyday next season. This idea even opens the door to the possibility of Chisholm coming to Atlanta as an everyday infielder if the Braves buy another bat to play the outfield.

The possibilities are endless, but Bowden discussed how their farm systems may not match up for a trade. The Braves are in a win-now mode, much like they've been in recent years. If the Braves can get this deal done, they would be in great shape going down the stretch of the season and into next year.

MLB Rumors: Bo Bichette's fit with the Dodgers is questionable

The Los Angeles Dodgers are expected to be one of the more aggressive teams at the deadline. When Mookie Betts went down with a hand injury, it opened up the idea of LA making a move for a middle infielder to plug that hole until Betts returned.

The best infielder on the market, if the Toronto Blue Jays opt to trade him, is their shortstop Bo Bichette.

Ken Rosenthal of the Athletic discussed his potential fit with Los Angeles.

"Bo Bichette looks like an ideal fit for the Dodgers if the Blue Jays decide to trade him. There’s just one problem: his defense at shortstop. Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman, going back to his days with the Rays, is a stickler for defense. Think back to the Dodgers’ biggest position-player acquisitions — Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman, Manny Machado at the 2018 deadline. All were strong defenders. Bichette, 26, is not."

While defense has been a priority in the past, with a player of Bichette's caliber, potential and team control, something like that could and should be thrown out the window. I'm sure the Dodgers didn't want to lock down their designated hitter slot with one name for ten years, but when that name is Shohei Ohtani, you make an exception.

If Bichette becomes available, the Dodgers will likely make an attempt to acquire him. They will figure out where he fits on defense after he's in Los Angeles.

MLB Rumors: Orioles likely to avoid trading top prospects at the deadline

The Baltimore Orioles have been connected to all the top names in the trade market because of their loaded farm system. There isn't a player on the trade block that the Orioles couldn't go out and acquire if they wanted to. But that doesn't mean they're going to be willing to pay a huge price tag for one of these expensive players.

Jim Bowden of The Athletic recently discussed this, detailing how and why the Orioles would likely pivot away from the expensive pieces on the trade market.

"That being said, a trade for Crochet would probably have to start with Basallo or Mayo, which could mean the Orioles pivot to a lesser starter, perhaps pursuing a reunion with Jack Flaherty of the Tigers or trying to land Luis Severino from the Mets."

Honestly, this makes sense given the nature of their rebuild. They have built their team from the ground up on the backs of prospects. For them to decommit from this process, dealing away their top prospects left for MLB talent, would be completely out of character of what's gotten them to where they are.

Expect to see Baltimore deal from the strong depth of their farm system, maybe in the 10-20 range of their top 30 prospects, in order to acquire the pitching, they need to make a serious World Series push. As Bowden mentions, reuniting with Jack Flaherty or acquiring Luis Severino of the New York Mets could be targets for the Orioles as they look to bolster the rotation heading into the playoffs.