While the Atlanta Braves' pitching staff did their job and more in the team's loss to the Padres on Monday night, it is a unit that could use some reinforcements. Teams looking to contend always need more bullpen help, and the Braves needed another rotation arm BEFORE Spencer Strider got hurt. However, fans may not be aware of just how urgent Atlanta's search for a starter is right now.
It doesn't take a rocket surgeon (yes, you read that right) to realize that the Braves' starting staff has some depth problems. Chris Sale is a fantastic No. 1 starter, but the rest of the staff is looking very sketchy these days with Martin Perez, Bryce Elder, Grant Holmes, and JR Ritchie.
However, the Braves' rotation issues are actually more complicated than that, and the timing also matters a lot. Given that Atlanta's schedule is about to get very spooky for a team with a suspect rotation, Alex Anthopoulos may have less than a week to close the deal on a trade for rotation help.
Alex Anthopoulos is getting awfully close to his own Braves deadline for a trade for a starter
Now, the trade deadline isn't until August 3, 2026, so the Braves still have plenty of time to make trades if they so choose. However, their need for a starter may not be able to wait until the deadline itself, and that is a bit of a problem.
Anthopoulos himself said that the Braves' upcoming stretch of no days off until the All-Star break, starting on June 30, was concerning enough that he was going to push hard to swing a trade for a starter before that stretch began.
That would, of course, mean that by AA's self-imposed deadline, the Braves have until next Monday, June 29 (roughly), to get a deal done. To the surprise of pretty much no one, getting an early trade done has not been easy, as the vast majority of teams still have a chance of getting into the playoffs and don't want to commit to selling. Even with very obvious trade candidates, the teams that have them are going to want to maximize their value and wait until all bidders are active in a month or so.
All of that said, Anthopoulos being as clear as he was regarding the Braves' intentions does make one think that the team has made real progress towards a move. It may not end up being the sexiest deal that Atlanta strikes at the deadline, but don't be surprised at all if the front office adds an arm over the next few days.
Add us as a preferred source on Google