The Atlanta Braves are going to need to add to the team at the trade deadline if they have any hope of reaching the postseason. Unfortunately, the team has multiple needs, and addressing them will be tough with so many teams in the playoff hunt.
One of the main areas of concern is the bullpen. They have pitched better lately but overall, it's a very mediocre relief core. And to be frank, the offense is the biggest issue and needs to be addressed first. However, it doesn't feel like anyone can save Atlanta's offensive production right now.
That will be the toughest task for the front office but finding a reliever should be somewhat easier. There are a handful of good arms out there but a lot of contending teams will be looking for help. The Braves need to turn to the Tampa Bay Rays to acquire one of baseball's best relievers.
Pete Fairbanks is having one of the best seasons of his career with a 2.03 ERA through 31 innings. He has 15 saves on the season with 14 walks and 26 strikeouts. Now, he isn't striking everyone out but he's doing a good job of limiting runs and is getting a good amount of groundball outs.
Rays reliever Pete Fairbanks should be on Braves trade deadline wish list
A recent piece by ESPN's Kiley McDaniel and Jeff Passan linked Atlanta as a potential landing spot for the right-hander. They also believe Fairbanks has a 60% chance of being traded at the deadline.
His fastball averages 97.2 mph which is in the 91st percentile across baseball and a recent change to his arm slot allowed him to get more cut on the pitch. This has also translated to more depth on his slider, leading to a nice one-two punch.
Fairbanks is fairly affordable with a $4 million salary in 2025. This is the final year of his three-year, $12 million deal with Tampa Bay. He does have a club option for 2026 worth $7 million, making this a no-brainer trade for the Braves.
Pete Fairbanks, K'ing the Side in the 9th pic.twitter.com/ulBThbfziw
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) May 4, 2025
The only issue is that his improved performance and affordability will make a trade just a tad more difficult. He does need to work on improving his walk rate and try to increase the amount opponents whiff or chase his pitches, but he is generally extremely good and could come with a hefty price tag.
The Rays have a fairly balanced roster so where would they be looking to improve? The two areas they could look to add would be in the outfield and at the catcher position.
Atlanta catcher Sean Murphy has been listed as a rumored fit for the Rays, but he's only marginally better offensively than current Rays catcher Danny Jansen. The more likely trade fit would be for an outfielder, and Jurickson Profar will be back soon. This is going to create some roster movement and make players like Alex Verdugo expendable.
However, he's playing awfully right now so it's doubtful he'd be enough to get this trade done. Eli White is the best outfielder the Braves could offer but he's a valuable bench piece. One of these players coupled with a couple of prospects may get the job done.
A potential trade package could look something like this:
Tampa Bay Rays
Atlanta Braves