The Atlanta Braves continue to lead the NL East despite a challenging June that saw them finish with a losing record. However, Atlanta appears to be regaining momentum after taking its series against the Pittsburgh Pirates, marking the club’s first series win since June.
With the MLB trade deadline approaching, the Braves are widely expected to be active buyers, a stance general manager Alex Anthopoulos made clear last month.
“I fully expect and hope that we will be engaged in trades come July. I’m not trying to overly excite anybody or promise anything. But if we’re playing the way we are right now, we’re going to be in there,” Anthopoulos said.
One of Atlanta’s biggest priorities is expected to be reinforcing the starting rotation with at least one new arm, and possibly two. Aside from Chris Sale, the Braves have struggled to find consistent production from their starters throughout the season.
“The Atlanta Braves find themselves in desperate need of stability in their starting rotation. What started as a strength has quickly devolved into a glaring weakness. GM Alex Anthopoulos has some serious work to do at the trade deadline to get things back on track. Chris Sale is the only truly dependable arm in the rotation at the moment. Everyone else has been average at best,” HTHB’s Steven Teal wrote.
As Atlanta explores the market for frontline pitching, one name expected to draw significant interest is veteran right-hander Sonny Gray.
“Gray, somewhat uniquely, throws a cutter-shaped fastball as his primary pitch, and it moves more toward lefties than righties. His sinker and slider both work off of tunneling with that primary cut-fastball, while his sweeper, curveball and changeup move even more off of that starting point. He always has limited walks with above-average control and command, but his deep arsenal, somewhat unique movement profile and four distinct pitches that cut away from righties give Gray lots of ways to beat you, even as his fastball velocity tails off later in his career,” ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel and Jeff Passan wrote.
Gray has surfaced in trade speculation involving Atlanta for multiple seasons, including last year, and this deadline could finally present the opportunity for a deal to materialize. The three-time All-Star and former Cy Young Award runner-up would bring valuable experience and dependability to the Braves’ rotation.
The veteran right-hander is currently playing under a $75 million contract, and acquiring a pitcher of his caliber would give Atlanta another proven starter alongside Chris Sale while strengthening its rotation for a potential postseason run. If the Braves are unable to land Tarik Skubal, Gray is expected to rank among their top fallback options.