Everyone, and we mean everyone, knows that the Atlanta Braves are looking to add a starting pitcher at the trade deadline. Alex Anthopoulos made his intentions very clear back in June, and things in the Braves' rotation have only gotten more dire after Spencer Strider got hurt and Bryce Elder turned back into a pumpkin. Unfortunately, navigating this year's trade deadline to get what the Braves need just got a little more complicated.
The trade market was already looking like it would be a seller's market, especially when it comes to pitching. Most of MLB is still technically in the hunt for a playoff spot, and those that are not are pretty much the same teams that have been pilfered over the course of previous deadlines. There is also the problem that players on bad teams are, usually, not particularly good. As a result, the quality players that ARE going to be available are going to be both overpriced AND in high demand.
Complicating matters, one of the starters that was expected to be available at the trade deadline, Marlins ace Sandy Alcantara, may have just been pulled off the market by their owner.
Sandy Alcantara being pulled from the trade market will not make the Braves' deadline plans any easier
Before anyone gets the wrong idea, Miami was never going to trade Alcantara to the Braves unless Anthopoulos overpaid massively for him. The "in-division tax" is a very real thing, and if you think Atlanta was going to be able to get by with giving up a couple decent prospects for Alcantara, you are sorely mistaken.
However, the problem is that Alcantara might not be available in trades at all. According to USA Today's MLB insider Bob Nightengale, Marlins owner Bruce Sherman has been telling team officials that he wants to keep Alcantara and that the team "has absolutely no intention of trading him at the deadline."
This obviously creates an even greater supply problem on the trade market than there already was. Pretty much every contender with a pulse needs starting pitching right now, and the number of guys that will even be available continues to go down. Hell, even popular dream Braves target Tarik Skubal may stick around in Detroit if they continue their turnaround.
Does this change the Braves' plans? Unfortunately, no. Yes, they are hopefully going to get AJ Smith-Shawver back soon, and perhaps Owen Murphy and/or JR Ritchie can establish themselves as big league starters. However, those are a lot of unknowns at the moment, and Atlanta may not have a lot of options to even hedge their bets at the trade deadline. Anthopoulos won't stand pat, but his life is not getting any easier.
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