Wherever you land on what the Atlanta Braves need most at the trade deadline, most outside observers would agree that the Braves are in for a busy deadline if they have any say in the matter. With multiple areas of the roster that could really use some upgrades/replacements, Atlanta is going to have to pick their battle carefully to make sure they come out with the most well-rounded roster possible.
Most people would say that the Braves' biggest move will be to help their rotation. Not only is that their biggest need, but there are also going to be a number of intriguing options available (in theory) at the deadline, which is more than the market for a number of positions can say.
Part of the issue for the Braves is they need more lineup balance. Ronald Acuña Jr. should be returning from the IL soon, but the right-handed side of their offense is not in a good way right now, with Austin Riley struggling to do much of anything right now. Braves insider Mark Bowman recently indicated in his newsletter that there is a case to be made that adding another lefty bat may be "more valuable" than a righty bat, and that just isn't true.
If the Braves do anything at the trade deadline to help their offense, it should be to add a right-handed bat
One thing that Bowman is absolutely correct about is that Atlanta has some lefty bats, with Dom Smith being particularly guilty, that have fallen off. Smith was a fun story earlier in this season, but a .603 OPS since the beginning of May just isn't going to cut it. One could easily point to Mike Yastrzemski as another example of a lefty bat that hasn't lived up to his billing.
The problem is that while that may be true, the Braves are getting ravaged by opposing southpaws this season, and it will require some quality right-handed help to solve. In 2,271 plate appearances against right-handed pitchers this season, the Braves have a reasonable 101 wRC+. Not ideal, but workable, though an upgrade here wouldn’t be unwelcome.
However, when you look at their performance against lefties, things look far more dire. Atlanta's 92 wRC+ against southpaws across 1,318 plate appearances is 24th in baseball, with only the Guardians, Padres, Mariners, Phillies (haha), Blue Jays, and Rockies being worse. If you want further proof, see how opposing teams line up their starters and utilize their bullpens against the Braves.
Now, that does beg the question as to whether or not there are right-handed bats that will both be available at the trade deadline and who would be worth acquiring. Adding arms at the deadline is usually pretty straightforward and a common occurrence, but bats are in much shorter supply and often command a premium. However, the Braves may have no choice but to pay up, because their lineup is going to struggle otherwise.
Add us as a preferred source on Google