First Pitch: Why the Braves trade deadline dilemma isn't as tough as it seems

When reports surfaced that Spencer Strider needed season-ending surgery after making just two starts, it felt as if the Atlanta Braves had their trade deadline plans set into stone. Their rotation was good enough to hold them until the deadline, but they needed another arm if they wanted to break through in the postseason and achieve their goal of winning the World Series.

Even with Atlanta's underperforming offense, it felt as if the focus at the deadline was going to be on starting pitching until the worst-case scenario occurred. Reigning NL MVP Ronald Acuña Jr. tore his ACL, sidelining him for the remainder of the season. Sure, he wasn't performing like the MVP in the early parts of this season, but this is still Ronald Acuña Jr. we're talking about.

With both Strider and Acuña out for the season, Alex Anthopoulos has a dilemma on his hands. He could find a way to address both areas in theory, but doing so would be tough without completely dismantling what is already an underwhelming farm system.

Choosing between adding an outfielder and a starting pitcher might sound tough, but in reality, it's not nearly as tough as it seems. The Braves need to add another hitter and should do it sooner rather than later. Here are some reasons why.

The Braves have enough quality starting pitching depth to tread water

The Braves got two starts out of Spencer Strider yet rank 11th in the majors and fifth in the NL with a 3.64 rotation ERA and are 12th in the majors with 318.2 innings from their starters. That might not necessarily be elite, but it's pretty darn good considering they've gotten virtually nothing from their Strider replacements.

Max Fried is a legitimate ace and has pitched like it after a rough start, posting a 1.43 ERA in his last seven starts. Chris Sale had a miserable outing his last time out, but he has looked like the Sale of old this season. Reynaldo Lopez has been an unbelievable find, posting a sub-2.00 ERA in his 10 starts. While Charlie Morton still has his ups and downs, he's as accomplished of a postseason pitcher as there is in the league right now.

The postseason only requires teams to have four starting pitchers, and Atlanta has that. The fifth starter spot has been bad, but they have a plethora of options.

Right now, Spencer Schwellenbach is getting a chance to contribute, and he looked pretty good in his first start. Atlanta also has No. 2 prospect Hurston Waldrep dominating in the upper minors. He could be MLB-ready before we know it. Plus, there's always the chance that a guy like Bryce Elder comes back and pitches better. We've seen him pitch well before.

Would the Braves benefit from adding another starter? Of course. Do they need to? That's a tough argument to make when looking at their outfield right now.

The Braves have one of the deepest bullpens in the majors

You wouldn't know it since the offense and rotation get most of the headlines, but the Braves, once again, have one of the best bullpens in the majors. Their 3.34 bullpen ERA is the best in the majors, and it's hard to even find a weak link with Tyler Matzek on the IL.

Having such a deep bullpen gives Brian Snitker the option to rely more on his relievers and less on his starters. The Braves can get innings out of reliable arms like Fried, Sale, and Morton while leaning on the bullpen other days. That can still be a winning formula.

The worst reliever in Atlanta's bullpen is probably Ray Kerr, a hard-throwing lefty who can eat innings and has a 2.89 ERA in his four relief outings. If Kerr is the worst of the bunch, the bullpen is good enough to give length and quality, keeping the Braves in games if they can score enough runs. The lack of offense, again, is why the pitching needs to be made less of a priority for Anthopoulos at the deadline.

Neither Adam Duvall nor Jarred Kelenic are everyday players

The plan for Atlanta this season was to have Acuña start every day in right field, Michael Harris II play center field, and the newcomers Jarred Kelenic and Adam Duvall platoon in left field. For the most part, the plan was working beautifully. The Braves have needed more from Acuña and Harris, but they had gotten strong production from their left field platoon.

Kelenic has put up solid numbers against right-handed pitching, slashing .271/.318/.418 with all three of his home runs. Meanwhile, against lefties, he has just four hits in 16 at-bats, posting a .563 OPS. Small sample, yes, but this is a guy that even with his improvement against southpaws last season has a .566 OPS against lefties, nearly 140 points lower than his .703 mark against righties.

Duvall had played his role in the platoon perfectly, slashing .286/.388/.589 with all five of his home runs coming against southpaws. On the flip side, he has just six hits in 52 at-bats (.115 BA) with 21 strikeouts against righties.

The sample sizes are pretty small, I get that, but neither one of these players is showing that they should be trusted in an everyday role. The Braves would benefit from doing what they did in 2021 at the bare minimum, adding in more depth and hope that some or all of the players play well.

The Braves offense needs a spark

The Braves offense even with Acuña has underwhelmed this season. There's simply no other way to put it. Last season it felt like Atlanta was never out of a game and the numbers backed it up. They led the majors by a wide margin in virtually every offensive statistic, and have been mostly mediocre this season.

In fact, the Braves are right in the middle, tied for 15th in the majors in runs scored entering play on Tuesday. They're tied for 16th in the majors in home runs. It's almost hard to fathom how mediocre their offense has been, and it's only been getting worse.

Since May 1, Atlanta is 29th in the majors, only ahead of the 15-45 White Sox, in runs scored. They went 0-14 in May when their opponent scored more than two runs while they were 13-0 when their opponent scored two or fewer runs. That shows just how good their pitching has been and how lackluster their offense has been.

Yes, things should pick up when guys like Harris, Austin Riley, and Ozzie Albies get going, but can they keep up with teams like the Phillies and Dodgers without adding more thump?

In a perfect world, Alex Anthopoulos finds a way to add a game-changer to add to their rotation and their lineup. If he has to choose one, the outfield feels like more of a pressing need. The Braves have enough rotation depth to survive and have the backing of a strong bullpen as well.