Coming off a series of triumphs over the Dodgers and Rockies, the Atlanta Braves are in pretty good shape heading into the final month of the season. They have a reasonably healthy lead in the division, own the tiebreakers (for the moment) against most of the teams that really matter in the playoff chase, and they are as healthy as they are going to be in all likelihood (even if that isn't as healthy as they want to be).
It is somewhat dangerous to look ahead to 207 with unfinished business in the regular season. However, the fact remains that we could see a flurry of activity this coming offseason ahead of the likely beginning of a lockout on December 1. At this point of the season, that means it is time to start thinking about teams that optimally match up with the Braves when it comes to trades.
These are the teams the Braves need to try and trade with as soon as the season is over
While free agent signings might be slow until teams know the rules they are going to be playing under after the new CBA is (hopefully) agreed to, that doesn't mean that teams are going to sit idle until after the lockout. The Braves need starting pitching, a starting shortstop, bullpen help, and another outfielder at minimum, and a few teams in the league have players who could interest Alex Anthopoulos and the Braves' front office.
Houston Astros
The odds of getting a quick trade of this magnitude done before the lockout starts are small, especially now that we know the Astros will have a new front office, but it is hard to find a better short-term fix to the Braves' shortstop issues than Jeremy Peña. He is one of the more productive shortstops in baseball, and he is entering his final year of arbitration before hitting free agency.
Houston has other potential pieces that could be interesting to the Braves (Josh Hader, Hunter Brown, Cam Smith, Brice Matthews) if they were actually made available as well. This may be too much of a pie-in-the-sky choice, but the two organizations have done business recently and know each other well. If the Braves strike a big-time trade before the lockout, don't be surprised if it is with the Astros.
Seattle Mariners
Another pretty easy choice here. The Mariners are a team that clearly wants to make a push for the playoffs with the Astros and Rangers fading, but their offense has been problematic. What they do have is plenty of starting pitching, and that could be very much of interest to the Braves.
Ultimately, the exact framework of a trade between these two teams depends on the rotation arms involved. If Seattle is only willing to part with near-ready MLB talent, the Braves could offer some intriguing bats to get the job done that wouldn't remove their biggest trade chips. If Logan Gilbert, George Kirby, or Emerson Hancock are on the table, Atlanta could bring out the big guns.
Los Angeles Angels
No one seems to know whether John Mozeliak is going to be sticking around to run the Angels' front office beyond this year, although there are a lot of signs that he is digging in for the long haul. That said, they started a fire sale at the trade deadline, and Atlanta could pounce if that continued into the offseason.
The easiest name to guess here is Reid Detmers, but it's possible the Angels could be persuaded to part with top pitching prospect Tyler Bremner if the price was right. One name that may be mildly intriguing for Atlanta would be former top-10 draft pick Christian Moore, although his struggles in the big leagues and some clubhouse concerns could give the Braves pause.
Minnesota Twins
The Twins don't seem to know what they want to be. They have an ownership group that doesn't want to spend, but a front office that acts like the team is close to contention. Perhaps there is a way for all sides to get what they want if the Braves got involved.
The Braves have a lot more financial flexibility than the Twins do, so taking on payroll to facilitate a trade could easily be on the table. As for needs, Joe Ryan is a clear choice if he is completely healthy, as he has top-flight stuff and is entering his final season of team control. The Twins also have several infielders that Atlanta could see as reclamation projects like Brooks Lee or Royce Lewis, although exactly how willing Minnesota is to give them up is a fair question to ask.
Texas Rangers
The Rangers absolutely have a couple of star-level players that could intrigue the Braves. The problem is that they are Corey Seager and Jacob deGrom. Seager reportedly has the Braves on his no-trade list, and deGrom literally just exercised his no-trade clause when the Braves tried to trade for him at the trade deadline.
That said, the Braves still need a shortstop and a starter, so expect Texas' name to keep coming up until those needs are met.
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