The trade deadline is fast approaching, and everyone knows that the Atlanta Braves need starting pitching help. The exact extent of that need is going to be determined in the coming weeks by how successful Hurston Waldrep is in returning to the rotation and if they can get any internal candidates to step up, but you won't find a likely scenario where the Braves don't try to add at least one arm at the deadline. The popular trade target among a lot of Braves fans is Tarik Skubal, but maybe it shouldn't be
Skubal is one of the best pitchers in baseball, and we aren't going to argue otherwise here. If the Braves traded for him, odds are extremely high that Atlanta would be a much better baseball team. Skubal is also a rental, which should, in theory, have a chilling effect (somewhat) on the asking price.
However, given a number of factors, the Braves would do themselves a favor by passing on Skubal's insane trade market and instead pushing for Twins starter Joe Ryan.
Instead of Tarik Skubal, the Braves need to make a real run at Joe Ryan
In a lot of ways, Skubal and Ryan have a lot of similarities. Both are power-arm starters who rack up strikeouts and who (probably) will hit free agency after the season. Skubal will almost certainly become a free agent normally, while Ryan has a mutual option for 2027 with Minnesota that he almost certainly will decline unless he gets hurt. They also both play on teams whose playoff chances are...not peaking at the moment.
However, important differences exist. While neither pitcher will be cheap to acquire in trade, Skubal is going to be considerably more expensive as a back-to-back Cy Young winner. Anthopoulos doesn't have a problem acquiring rental players, but we have never seen him give up a haul of prospects for a guy that is pretty much a mortal lock to leave at the end of the season. There is also the fact that Skubal DID have elbow clean-up surgery recently and hasn't looked great upon his return. When you are talking about giving up top prospects in a trade, the risk involved in said trade matters a lot.
With Ryan, those risks are lesser to a certain degree. The Twins aren't going to give Ryan away, but the price will be lower for a guy who is still extremely good and might be as good or better than Skubal the rest of the season. Importantly, Ryan does not have Scott Boras as an agent like Skubal does. Extension talks with Skubal would probably be insanely expensive and probably a nonstarter, but there is actually a chance that Ryan could be amenable to an extension, which seems much more up AA's alley.
Odds are good that the Braves are going to be monitoring both pitchers and their markets very closely in the coming weeks. Neither player is likely to be moved before the end of July at the earliest, and that gives the Braves time to figure out exactly where they stand heading into the stretch run. Fans should be thrilled if Atlanta ends up with either pitcher, although the results in total may actually be better if it is Ryan.