It is trade deadline season and the Atlanta Braves clearly have quite a bit of work to do. There was hope that the Braves could avoid adding a starter at the trade deadline, but things may have changed in the wake of Reynaldo Lopez's injury on Sunday. In an ideal world, Lopez ends up being fine and Max Fried returns very soon, but that would still leave the Braves in need of an outfield bat and possibly some lower level pitching reinforcements.
Unfortunately, this trade market is not looking kind to teams looking to buy. Passable options at most positions are few and far between and one of the more intriguing options for the Braves in the outfield got taken off the table when the Mariners acquired Randy Arozarena.
The most likely option remains that the Braves add some rental options to just try and survive through the rest of the season. However, there is a chance that Alex Anthopoulos could be cooking something even bigger than that and it may involve the White Sox who have some very interesting options indeed.
Braves and White Sox have been in communication. Uncertain what the focus is but Luis Robert would surely fit ATL (if they were willing to spend — abd that’s a big if!) Crochet, Fedde, Pham also may be of interest to injury-depleted but still contending Braves
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) July 28, 2024
Braves Rumors: Atlanta in talks with the White Sox for players unknown
Heyman's report is functionally useless beyond at least identifying Chicago as a trade partner. The White Sox have a number of players potentially available in trade ranging from boring, minor additions all the way up to potentially franchise-altering moves like Luis Robert Jr. and Garrett Crochet.
The best bet is that the Braves are in touch with the White Sox about rental options like Erick Fedde and/or Tommy Pham. Fedde is a starting pitcher with a pulse who is pitching pretty well this season and Pham has real upside at the plate if Atlanta could keep him in check in their clubhouse while filling a real need in the outfield.
Beyond that, a bigger move for a guy like Robert Jr. as Heyman suggests or Crochet seems extremely unlikely. Robert Jr. is having a crummy year, but he is still a highly regarded talent around the league that is also under contract through at least 2025 with two club option years tacked on after that which is going to carry a huge premium. As for Crochet, not only would he require a king's ransom of a trade package to even get Chicago to entertain the idea, but his posturing about needing a contract extension before he would pitch in the playoffs may be a non-starter.
Stay tuned, Braves fans. Things are getting interesting.