There are two weeks, as of Monday, until MLB’s trade deadline. The Braves (57-41), leading the NL East by three games over the rival Phillies, will undoubtedly be looking to make a deal to strengthen their roster ahead of a possible run toward a second World Series title in five years.
Braves president of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos, in an interview on MLB Network Radio on Sunday, was asked about what needs his club has.
“We can add in all areas. We’re definitely not a complete team. I think we’ve got the upside to be a complete team. We can add rotation, bullpen, bats,” Anthopoulos said. “As much as we like to say, ‘I need to get this, I need to get that,’ sometimes you just have to take what ends up being available to you. You might want a starter, if that doesn’t show up, maybe you need to make the offense better. Maybe you need to make the bullpen better.”
Anthopoulos said he spoke to a few teams July 11, mostly about what players might be available. The pace of discussions has quickened and will continue to do until the trade deadline at 6 p.m. Aug. 3. The organizations Anthopoulos is reaching out to, and those reaching out to him, is fluid.
Therein lies the tricky part, of course. A team might win five in a row this week and find itself right back in the playoff picture. Another team might drop nine of its next 10 and decide 2026 isn’t its year.
All the while, injuries and performance will dictate exactly what a contending club, like the Braves, is looking for in the trade market. And the Braves might have an even more unique trade deadline strategy because of its pitching permutations.
Chris Sale, Bryce Elder and Grant Holmes have been the team’s lone constants in the rotation this season. Martín Pérez, on the injured list but expected back this week, could fit into that category as well.
The Braves, looking for someone to step up and claim a permanent role in the rotation, have thrown rookies JR Ritchie and Owen Murphy into the fire. Hurston Waldrep came back from February elbow surgery and didn’t perform well enough to stick. Anthopoulos said AJ Smith-Shawver needs one more rehab start with Triple-A Gwinnett before serious discussions are had about where he fits in the puzzle. Reynaldo López has fluctuated between roles over 22 appearances.
And then there’s Spencer Schwellenbach, whom Anthopoulos called “a front-line starter” Sunday. Schwellenbach, who had elbow surgery in February, is throwing bullpen sessions in Florida and is “really gonna step on it and ramp up” at the end of July, Anthopoulos said.
But any Braves pitcher or player on the injured list is a bit of an unknown commodity. Waiting for those pieces to return and hoping they perform at a high level perhaps isn’t Plan A.
“Unless we have absolute certainty, I just think the prudent thing for us to do is to not count on those guys,” Anthopoulos said. “If they come back and they’re effective and they’re throwing the ball well, they’re swinging the bat well if it’s a position player, fantastic.”
Noting that this is his 15th trade deadline as a general manager, Anthopoulos didn’t rule out the addition of an offensive piece or reliever. To put it bluntly, he said the Braves will add “anything that’ll make the team better.”
FanGraphs gives the Braves a 93.7% chance to make the playoffs but just a 7% chance to win the World Series — the fifth-highest odds out of six division leaders. Thus, there is an argument to be made that this Braves team can be strengthened ahead of a postseason run.
They have to get there first, though.
“I think we just can’t lose sight of the fact that we need to get in,” Anthopoulos said. “As much as we banked some wins, and we’re in a fine position now, there’s a long way to go.”
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