3 Braves trade packages working together to overtake Phillies in NL East

The Atlanta Braves have won the NL East in each of the last six seasons. So when they find themselves seven games behind the Phillies in the division, they really are in some unchartered waters.

But the season is far from over, especially when you consider the magic that Alex Anthopoulos has worked at the trade deadline in the past. Anthopoulos would need to work some of his best trade deadline deals yet to overcome injuries to Ronald Acuña Jr. and Spencer Strider.

Let's look into a few trades that he could pull off in conjunction with each other to push the Braves to their seventh consecutive NL East title.

A Braves-Tigers trade to get the 5th starter that Atlanta needs

The first thing that Atlanta needs is a starting pitcher. They've tried to find the answer to their fifth starter in their farm system, but it doesn't seem that any of these arms are ready for the big leagues, especially if they're going to be needed to make up seven games on the Phillies. They need another reliable, veteran arm in their rotation.

Jack Flaherty would be the perfect answer for the Braves. For a bit, it was unknown if the Tigers would sell, but having fallen six games under .500, it seems as though they will.

Flaherty is on an expiring contract and will garner a ton of attention at the deadline. This attention will drive up his value, causing the Braves to send their 8th and 14th ranked prospects over to Detroit in this deal.

Kuehler is a 22 year old pitcher that is dominating Single-A right now. His potential is tremendous, but the Braves are loaded with pitchers in the farm. That leaves him and Vines expendable in these moves. The Braves can afford to move both players and still have a farm system loaded with potential future aces.

Flaherty would be a huge get, completing their 2024 rotation. It would also open the door to the Braves resigning him next season. Atlanta needs a starter, and this is the move to make.

A Braves-Athletics trade for the impact outfielder to replace Acuña Jr.

Another huge hole in the Braves roster was created by the injury of Ronald Acuña Jr. Atlanta needs an outfielder, preferably one with a huge, impactful bat that can help push their team up the rankings. Looking at the available outfielders, Atlanta's best option may be residing in Oakland.

Brent Rooker would certainly be the impactful bat that Atlanta could use out there. Rooker is under team control through the 2027 season, making him much more valuable than a rental outfielder would be. He's slashing .260/.341/.511 with an OPS+ of 147 and 13 homers.

To acquire him, Atlanta will need to part ways with their 12th and 16th ranked prospects.

McCabe, 24, has the potential to develop into a true game changing bat. But McCabe underwent Tommy John surgery in February. While this surgery typically takes almost two years for a pitcher to recover from, McCabe could attempt to make a return as a DH this season. He would need to be moved off the 60 day IL for this trade to be possible.

Glod, 19, is an athletic outfielder that has shown some promise in his professional career. His batting average has sat in the low .200's but he's still kept an OPS of .752 in his career.

Atlanta needs an outfielder, badly. The Athletics would like this package, but if McCabe is unable to be traded, the Braves may have to swap him out for RHP Drue Hackenberg.

A Braves-Red Sox trade to boost the Atlanta bullpen

The final hole that Atlanta needs to address is in their bullpen. While most teams don't have massive holes in their bullpen, all contending teams typically buy bullpen arms at the deadline. Bullpen rental arms are relatively cheap and they can make a huge difference.

This one for one trade makes a ton of sense for both sides. The Red Sox have already seemingly burned their bridge with Kenley Jansen. He's seemed bothered by all the trade rumors swirling around his name all season. Even though the Red Sox are competitive right now, Jansen will likely be moved anyway.

Winans is one of the older prospects in the league, currently 28 years old. But he's been spectacular over the last two seasons in Triple-A. The Red Sox could pull him up to the big leagues this year to pitch out of the bullpen or even start games if need be.

Jansen has been great this year, holding an ERA of 2.59 across 24.1 innings. He's been reliable at the back end of games and could thrive even more in a role with less pressure on him. In Atlanta, he could be the eighth-inning guy that also saves games on occasion. The Braves will likely have to throw in another prospect here, but it's worth their while to negotiate with Boston.