If you thought the 2020 trade deadline was a disappointment, 2021’s could be even slower for the Atlanta Braves.
While the Atlanta Braves have gotten recent boosts thanks to excellent outings by starting pitchers Max Fried and Drew Smyly, the roster concerns continue up and down the lineup.
It’s at roughly this point in a season — between now and Memorial Day — where teams believe they have seen enough to determine where their long-term needs are for the rest of the year.
It’s also the point at which fans start getting restless and want trades made to fix these issues.
Don’t hold your breath.
As of this moment in time, there are 2 teams in the American League with a record worse than 4 games under .500. In the National League, there’s 2 more. That’s the Twins (surprise!), Tigers, Pirates and Rockies.
But wait, there’s more: no team has more than a 1.5 game lead in any division. So only a few teams are burying themselves and nobody is gaining any real separation from the pack.
Others will certainly join this relatively exclusive group of “also-rans” as this season continues, but for now the upshot is this: today, 26 of the 30 MLB teams have to believe they are in the race… which makes each of them wonder “how can I improve my team?”
The Atlanta Braves will need some choices
On top of the fact that the “trade season” really hasn’t started yet — heck, the Hurricane Season begins a month sooner — the real problem is going to be one of inventory.
If there’s only a handful of teams that are out of the race, then the demand for their few useful pieces is going to exceed supply by a significant degree. That drives prices up.
Heck, the best thing needed would be that the fringe teams start losing… which would include clubs wanting to save some money. Only then would the trade market get freed up in July.
Our Braves will have a limited amount of spending power to spread around by the end of July… maybe $5 million, by some estimates. That translates to the equivalent of roughly $13 or $14 million for a full-year contract.
But it’s not just about money: it’s also about the prospects that must be spent — particularly if you need to “buy down” a contract by sending better prospects.
But if lots of teams end up becoming trade-deadline buyers, then it could require both prospects and cash to pry loose any significant talent from another team.
All of that to say these things:
- Don’t expect a quick fix to the Braves’ woes. Trade season won’t get going for another 8-10 weeks… most likely after the All-Star game.
- Any changes before then will come from internal sources.
- If a lot of teams stay close, there’s a real chance that Atlanta gets outbid for the better trade deadline options.
The best thing for this team may simply be this: the hitters need to start hitting like they are capable and the pitchers need to limit the damage they are allowing.
Hopefully, though: there’s one wild card that might help out Atlanta starting at some point in July… Mike Soroka. A rested and healed Travis d’Arnaud would be nice, too, though his return might not happen until right at the end of the regular season.
Even if nothing else happens… these guys would be a nice pickup.