After a set against the Padres to round off the first half of the season, the Braves will run into the MLB Trade deadline, where Alex Anthopoulos is predicted to be quite busy.
The Braves’ two most pressing roster needs right now are outfield and shortstop, so there’s really no argument about that. Is Anthopoulos likely to be able to find someone to take Orlando Arcia’s place now? No, but that doesn’t alter the fact that there is an obvious need for it.
Conversely, outfield will be simpler to obtain, and the Braves should succeed in acquiring numerous, much like they did with the 2021 deadline that sent them to the World Series.
Although the majority of Braves supporters concur on those two roster requirements, all I see from MLB analysts is pitching. Though in this league, one can never have too much of anything, Atlanta’s rotation is a plus.
In baseball, Max Fried, Chris Sale, and Reynaldo Lopez can match up with any 1-2-3. Two each of Charlie Morton, Spencer Schwellenbach, Bryce Elder, Ian Anderson, and AJ Smith-Shawver complete the starting rotation; all three have been chosen All-Stars.
The Braves don’t currently need a starter until Anthopoulos finds a trade that he can’t refuse or unless the player fills the vacuum that Max Fried and Charlie Morton might leave in Atlanta in 2025. However, a lot can change in the coming weeks.
However, Jim Bowden of The Athletic thinks the Braves will need a starter and lists them as one of Erick Fedde’s three most likely destinations.
“It looks like the White Sox’s most likely trade candidate is veteran starter Erick Fedde, who could end up with the Cardinals, Orioles, or Braves.”
The 31-year-old is having an amazing year; he has a sub-3.00 ERA through 111.1 innings and just finished a game in which he pitched five scoreless innings. His return to the majors is a tale straight out of a Disney film.
After spending the previous six seasons away from home, he put together a dismal 5.41 ERA. However, in 2023, he returned to Korea and added a sweeper while getting rid of his curveball.
Being overabundant in quality pitchers is always a positive thing. Therefore, the Braves should be prepared to seize the chance to get Fedde. I believe that teams should just accumulate talented players and make adjustments afterward.
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