By: Jacob Moss
As we enter the month of August every front office in Major League Baseball is buckling in for what is sure to be the busiest day of the season, the MLB trade deadline. Come 4 P.M. tomorrow every team in America will have firmly put themselves in one of two camps: buyers and sellers. The Atlanta Braves, who currently hold the best record in the MLB, are buyers and GM Alex Anthopoulos has already been busy making moves to bolster his star-studded roster.
These initial moves as many anticipated were made in order to sure up an injury laden bullpen in the form of Rockies reliever Pierce Johnson and Rangers reliever Taylor Hearn. Johnson has been solid in his two outings with Atlanta thus far and looks to be a serviceable holdover until more experienced arms are back to full health. Hearn on the other hand was a very rare miss for Anthopoulos. The lefty was sent down and then traded to the Royals after he managed to record only one out and gave up four runs during his only outing in a Braves uniform. Atlanta did manage to receive infielder Nicky Lopez from the Royals for Hearn which is a more than favorable return for a reliever with a 5.26 ERA. That being said it is very apparent that more moves will need to be made if the Braves hope to realize their second World Series in three years.
The main concern for Anthopoulos is undoubtedly the pitching staff, which has been riddled with injuries. As of this writing the Braves currently have seven pitchers on the IL, which includes ace Max Fried and last years NL wins leader Kyle Wright. The fact that Atlanta currently has the best record in the MLB in spite of this onslaught of injuries is remarkable to say the least, but in order to win a world championship you have to have arms that aren’t spent come playoff time. Several key pitchers including Max Fried are expected to return to action in the next couple of weeks, but all indications are that multiple moves will be made to bolster the pitching staff. The only question is, who should the Braves trade for? Below are the main names that I believe Atlanta could be potentially targeting, and who would make the most sense to acquire.
Embed from Getty ImagesRP Josh Hader
When it comes to high leverage late game relivers over the last few years none have been better than Josh Hader. The lefty flamethrower has returned to form as the best closer in baseball this year, as he has posted a .90 ERA in 42 outings thus far. The Padres currently sit at 52-54, which is eight games back of the NL West, and five games back of a wild card spot. With Hader on an expiring contract, it would make sense for the Padres to part ways with their star closer in order to retool for next season. It would probably take multiple top prospects for the Padres to agree, but Hader is a game changing bullpen arm that can push a team over the top.
SP Michael Lorenzen
Lorenzen is another potential rental, as the right hander is currently on a one-year deal with Detroit. He has been very solid for the Tigers thus far, posting a respectable 3.49 ERA in 100 innings pitched. Anthopoulos has shown a knack for acquiring impact players for good value in recent deadlines, and Lorenzen fits this mold perfectly. Detroit is probably still a few years from competing, and the Braves could probably get Lorenzen for relatively cheap. It would add another reliable arm to the starting rotation and take some of the pressure off of Strider and company.
RP David Bednar
Switching back to the bullpen, David Bednar is another potential stud the Braves could trade for out of the pen. The righty just made his second consecutive all-star team and has posted a 1.27 ERA for the Pirates in 41 appearances thus far. What makes this move intriguing for the Braves is that Bednar is still under team control for several more years, which would make this both a short, and long-term impact acquisition for Atlanta. It is also more in line with moves we have come to expect from this front office. The only downside here is that the Pirates won’t part with an elite arm under control for cheap, which may price Atlanta out of the market. That being said Bednar is definitely a player worth inquiring about.
SP Lance Lynn
Lynn is an interesting option, as the right hander is currently having one of the worst years of his career, but also falls into the category of “advanced metrics pointing to a change of scenery.” In layman’s terms the surface stats aren’t great, but the more advanced stats suggest that Lynn hasn’t been as bad as the 6.47 ERA suggests. If you were to put him in Atlanta with this lineup it could lead to improved play from him. That being said, this is all speculation and I’m not sure it’s worth trading prospects on a gamble that big.
RP Scott Barlow
Barlow is another Kansas City reliever the Braves have been linked to in recent weeks. The right hander currently has a less than ideal 5.35 ERA, but the advanced metrics are much more promising. Barlow also has falls under the category of “multiple years of team control” which is something this front office has placed a high value on in recent years. The Royals have also already shown a willingness to trade with the Braves, as the two teams completed the aforementioned Hearn-Lopez trade on Sunday. All in all, Barlow checks many of the boxes the Braves are looking for in a reliever.
Upgrade in LF/Bench Bat
Thus far I have only discussed potential pitching moves the Braves could make and have yet to mention the possibility of adding another bat to the lineup, and that has been for good reason. Atlanta really has no pressing need to trade for another offensive player right now. The team currently boasts the best offense in baseball from top to bottom and has no discernable holes. However, you can never have too much offense, and if you were to force yourself to find a potential hole in the lineup, leftfield could stand for a minor upgrade. There have been rumors of the Braves asking after former left fielder Adam Duvall, and that could be an intriguing addition. Outside of that however no names really stand out to me currently, and I wouldn’t be shocked to see the Braves stand fast with the offense they have and focus all of their attention on pitching.
