Braves Rumors: MLB insider misses mark with trade targets as deadline chatter heats up
By Fred Owens
Braves fans are well aware of the carousel of pitchers who’ve tried unsuccessfully to lay claim to the fifth starter slot and the way the lineup’s recent inability to score runs compounded the team’s problems.
President of Baseball Operations Alex Anthopoulos told reporters that he’s responsible for the roster the Braves have and improving it. He went on to say he’s busier than usual, but aside from DFAs and released players, the market is quiet,
Braves Rumors: MLB insider misses mark with trade targets as deadline chatter heats up
Everybody needs somebody, well, not everybody, but every team that believes they have a shot at postseason play needs help. Right now, that’s over half the league, so the market's crowded, and the number of players available is limited.
Known sellers include the Athletics, Angels, Cardinals, Giants, Marlins, Mets, Nationals, Red Sox, White Sox, and maybe the Rockies, but with their weird way of running the club, who knows?
The Diamondbacks, Cubs, Pirates, Reds, Rays, and Tigers are what I call selective sellers. They all have needs but aren’t having anything close to a fire sale. Although, a couple may move that way if things get really bad.
Houston and Toronto will eventually accept that they aren’t going to make it this year, and despite swearing they are buyers, will try to rebuild their system and dump excess salary without going into a see-you-in-three-to-five-years rebuild. Both teams have oversized payrolls, desirable players who are going to be expensive, and would return multiple high-level prospects.