Everyone knows that the Atlanta Braves need starting pitching at the trade deadline, but exactly who that could be is anyone's guess as of now. The popular name right now is Tarik Skubal, and that sure as hell would do the trick, but paying that much for a rental would be pretty atypical for Alex Anthopoulos. However, that doesn't mean that Atlanta won't be aggressive at the trade deadline, and there are some pretty intriguing arms out there that could be right up the Braves' alley.
Beyond Skubal, potential rotation options that might be available include the Twins' Joe Ryan, the Angels' Reid Detmers and Jose Soriano, the Royals' Michael Wacha, and the Tigers' Casey Mize. All have their pros and cons, as well as a wide range of price tags depending on how frisky Anthopoulos is feeling.
However, one team that appears to be emerging as a potential trade partner for Atlanta are the Mariners. While Seattle is likely looking to buy at the deadline to take advantage of a weak AL West, they are also willing to use their surplus of starting pitching to help get deals done to address their roster needs. Two of their arms in particular, Luis Castillo and Emerson Hancock, have been getting increased attention ahead of the deadline, but only one of them should be on the Braves' radar.
Both Luis Castillo and Emerson Hancock fit the Braves' trade deadline needs, but Hancock should be the only one they actually target
Castillo and Hancock have two very different profiles ahead of the deadline. Castillo was among the more underrated starters in baseball for years, but now he is almost 34 years old, in the middle of a career-worst season, and is owed $24+ million a year through 2027, plus a $25 million option for 2028 that vests if he throws 180 innings next year. Oh, and Castillo's fastball is almost 2 MPH slower than it was just four years ago and the spin on his slider is down at least 100 RPM since 2024.
The picture is decidedly different with Hancock. Not only would he come with a number of cheap years of team control via arbitration, but Hancock is also having a great season and has the raw stuff to be even better with some adjustments to his pitch usage. That Hancock is also only 27 years old is a nice added bonus.
Of course, the price tags for each pitcher are going to be very different as a result of the differences in their profiles. If Seattle it just looking to get a chunk of Castillo's money off their books, there is a world where the Braves taking him without giving up much prospect talent could make sense. However, if the Mariners are looking for a real return for either pitcher, Anthopoulos needs to bypass any talks about Castillo and focus their attention and resources on getting a deal done for Hancock.
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