4 Braves trade targets that would finally address Atlanta’s rotation concerns

Atlanta’s rotation anxiety isn’t theoretical anymore — it’s a running list of names. AJ Smith-Shawver is already out of the picture, and now you’re staring at Hurston Waldrep and Spencer Schwellenbach as question marks, too. Add in the fact there’s still no timetable on Joe Jiménez, and suddenly this isn’t just about finding another starter. It’s about protecting the entire structure of the season.

That’s why Atlanta doesn’t need a “nice” starter. They need an adult, someone who can take the ball every five days, keep the game from turning into a hostage situation by the fourth inning, and still look like a playoff option when the lights get sharp.

If the Braves are going to trade for pitching, it has to be for a very specific reason: stability now, and fewer regrets later. Here are four names that fit that “solve a real problem” standard — with wildly different price tags.

4 Braves trade targets that would finally address Atlanta’s rotation concerns

José Berríos

Berríos is the cleanest definition of a front office trade: you’re buying innings and competence, not dreaming on upside. His 2025 line (9–5, 4.17 ERA, 166 IP) isn’t flashy, but it’s the kind of volume that keeps your staff from unraveling. 

The catch is obvious: the contract. Berríos is owed serious money, and his deal structure matters in any negotiation. If Toronto actually wants to move him, they’re going to push the “take the money, keep the prospects” angle — and Atlanta has to decide if that’s the smarter pain. 

Logan Allen

Allen is the type of target that makes sense if Atlanta wants years, not just innings. He’s young, left-handed, and has enough big-league track record to be more than a mystery box. He also logged real volume in 2025 (156 2/3 IP across 30 games).

The 4.25 ERA and 1.40 WHIP tells you the risk, too. This is Atlanta betting that their infrastructure can smooth out the inconsistencies and turn him into a steadier mid-rotation piece.

Cleveland won’t give away controllable pitching for free, so the Braves would have to pay in prospect value. If Atlanta’s priority is long-term rotation insulation, Allen is the swing.

Brandon Woodruff

Woodruff is the kind of arm that changes how a series feels. In 2025, he was dominant when available: 3.20 ERA, 0.91 WHIP, 83 strikeouts in 64 2/3 innings. 

The problem is the part everyone wants to ignore: availability and leverage. Woodruff accepted the Brewers’ one-year $22.025M qualifying offer for 2026, which keeps him in Milwaukee and makes a trade far less logical for them unless they’re waving the white flag. 

Luis Castillo

If the Braves truly want to sleep at night, Luis Castillo is the dream fit: real workload, real résumé, and the kind of steadiness that keeps a contender from spiraling. He led the Mariners in innings in 2025 (180 2/3) with a 3.54 ERA and 162 strikeouts. 

The issue is simple: Seattle doesn’t need to move him, and the contract runs through 2027 (with conditional 2028 language in the deal), so the ask would be painful.  If the Mariners are doing anything, it’s listening selectively — not hosting a garage sale.

For Atlanta, that’s exactly why Castillo is appealing. You’re not buying a bounce-back hope. You’re buying a known quantity who can drag a rotation through the regular season and still look like himself when the calendar turns.

All four names scratch the itch, but in different ways:

• If Atlanta wants to solve innings without bleeding prospects, Berríos makes sense.
• If they want control and projection, Allen is the gamble.
• If they want octane, Woodruff is the “call only if Milwaukee blinks” option.
• If they want the cleanest upgrade, Castillo is the big swing that actually looks like October.

Atlanta’s rotation concerns don’t need a storyline. They just need a pitcher who makes the fifth day feel normal again.