MLB Rumors: Braves ray of hope, Jazz Chisholm conundrum, Cards competition

The trade deadline is a little more than 48 hours away, which means front offices the league over are working overtime to tweak rosters before the stretch run. This has been billed as a quiet deadline, with the market squeezed by the high volume of buyers compared to sellers. And yet, we've seen plenty of activity already, and several noteworthy names remain involved in conversations.

Here are the latest MLB rumors on this fine Sunday morning.

For more news and rumors, check out MLB Insider Robert Murray’s work on The Baseball Insiders podcast, and join the discord to get the inside scoop as we near the July 30 MLB trade deadline.

MLB Rumors: Cardinals face competition on multiple fronts for White Sox ace Erick Fedde

The St. Louis Cardinals are an obvious landing spot for several of the top pitchers available at the trade deadline. One commonly cited target is Chicago White Sox ace Erick Fedde, whose affordable contract and remarkable production make him a compelling option for the pitching-starved Cards.

St. Louis is indeed in on Fedde, per Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. The 31-year-old pitched for the White Sox on Saturday, allowing six hits and three earned runs in four innings. On the season, Fedde has a 3.11 ERA and 1.14 WHIP through 21 starts (121.2 innings).

More finesse than power, Fedde tends to encourage ground balls with a devastating sinker, which headlines his four-pitch arsenal. The Cardinals are quite familiar with pitchers in Fedde's mold and his presence — or the presence of a commonly talented ace — is desperately needed in the St. Louis rotation. Sonny Gray has been as bankable as advertised, but the Cards lack depth in a serious way.

While the Cardinals should have no shortage of motivation to get a Fedde trade across the finish line, there will be competition. Rosenthal's report points to the Milwaukee Brewers, St. Louis' vaunted division rival, as another suitor for Fedde. Meanwhile, Yahoo's Russell Dorsey pegs the Houston Astros as a potential spoiler on the Fedde front.

Again, there are more buyers than normal, which means the marketplace is inherently competitive. The Cardinals would benefit immensely from adding Fedde to the mix in a tight Wild Card race, but there's simply no guarantee that St. Louis actually comes out on top.

MLB Rumors: Yankees' Jazz Chisholm plan is unclear with deadline unfinished

The New York Yankees made their first major splash of the 2024 trade deadline on Saturday, adding Miami Marlins CF-2B Jazz Chisholm Jr. in exchange for several top prospects. At 26, Chisholm is a gifted athlete with positional versatility and real slugging potential. For a Yankees team in need of bats and speed, Chisholm was always a logical outcome.

Chisholm should bat leadoff and give the Yankees' lineup a much-needed shot in the arm. What is unclear is where exactly Chisholm will play in the field. He can slot between Aaron Judge and Juan Soto in the outfield, or the Yankees can turn to him in Gleyber Torres' stead at second base. Both are weak points in the lineup, which was surely the impetus behind going after Chisholm in the first place. He can address several areas of vulnerability.

For now, however, we don't really know where Chisholm will start his Yankees career in the field. Because, simply put, we don't know how the Yankees' roster will look after 6 PM ET on Tuesday. Their trade deadline is unfinished, per YES' Jack Curry.

Curry believes New York is still in deal-making mode, but expects Chisholm to inevitably see reps at both second base and centerfield. He could also, either directly or indirectly, address the ongoing issues at third base. While it's unlikely that Chisholm gets thrust into a new position out of the gate — especially one as challenging to defend as third base — the Yankees could slide Torres over to third, clearing the runway for Chisholm at second and nixing the DJ LaMahieu headache.

Several options are on the table, essentially, depending on how creative Aaron Boone wants to get. Versatility was a real selling point with Chisholm and he figures to have a profound impact on the Yankees' lineup, no matter where he's stationed in the field. After struggling from the leadoff spot all season, the Yanks now have a .730 OPS hitter in front of Soto and Judge. He's one hell of a base-runner, too, which should add to the excitement of New York fans.

MLB Rumors: Braves get ray of hope with Spencer Schwellenbach's annihilation of Mets

The Atlanta Braves are not having the best time lately. Prior to Saturday's win over the New York Mets, Atlanta had lost six straight. Once viewed as the top contender in the National League, the Braves are in a bareknuckle brawl with New York for the top Wild Card spot. Even amid their own struggles, the Philadelphia Phillies appear to have the No. 1 seed virtually locked up. If there's a serious threat right now, it's probably the Mets, not the Braves. Imagine saying that before the season.

Alex Anthopoulos has a tall task to improve his roster ahead of Tuesday's deadline. Spencer Strider and Ronald Acuña, arguably the Braves' two more influential and impactful players, are sidelined through the end of the season. It's hard to overcome the volume of injuries Atlanta has suffered this season, but Anthopoulos has resurrected teams at the deadline before.

The Braves did receive what can best be described as a ray of sunshine through the gloomy, overcast sky on Saturday. Atlanta topped the Mets 4-0 on the road, led by a dominant outing on the mound from rookie Spencer Schwellenbach.

Atlanta has struggled to field a reliable fifth starter all season with Strider on the mend. The only reason the Braves are still afloat is because of their excellent starting pitching. Chris Sale is the Cy Young frontrunner right now, while Max Fried and Reynaldo Lopez are both All-Stars. Charlie Morton, edging closer to his 41st birthday, has been remarkably steadfast in his production. And yet, that pesky No. 5 spot has given the Braves all sorts of issues.

Schwellenbach has been given the most opportunities to claim it. He has 10 starts and 57.2 innings under his belt with the big-league squad. Saturday's two-hit, zero-run masterpiece dropped his ERA to 4.06 on the season, with a 1.06 WHIP and 60 strikeouts. That is dangerously palatable. Has Atlanta, finally, found its fifth starter?

It sure is possible. Schwellenbach's highs have been undeniably impressive and he's growing with every start at 24 years old. Still, the Braves shouldn't let faith in the rookie discourage them from meaningful trade deadline upgrades. Atlanta's competitive timeline is right now, and there's no telling how long it will last. If the Braves can land a more dependable, proven option, Anthopoulos should pull the trigger. There's no harm in too much quality pitching, especially after how last season ended for the Braves — with a lack of pitching depth leading to a Bryce Elder start in the NLDS.

The Braves are in a position to drastically improve the roster over the next couple days. Schwellenbach is a great long-term investment, but he cannot prevent Atlanta's front office from operating with the necessary aggression.