The Atlanta Braves are a team to keep an eye on ahead of the MLB trade deadline, given their potential pursuit of pitching to keep pace with the surging Philadelphia Phillies. The Braves still hold a two-game lead in the NL East, but every sensible person would agree that the Phillies starting rotation is in a much better place than Atlanta’s, which should absolutely force Alex Anthopoulos’s hand in a meaningful trade.
With the plethora of injuries to starters/young arms in the rotation, Atlanta should be seeking a veteran arm who can take the ball every fifth day and give the Braves a chance to win. One name that could emerge in trade talks shortly is Pittsburgh Pirates starter Mitch Keller. Considering the emergence of Braxton Ashcraft and Bubba Chandler, Keller may become expendable for the right price, and he’s a name the Braves must consider trading for.
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Why the Braves Should Trade for Mitch Keller
GettySACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA – JUNE 16: Mitch Keller #23 of the Pittsburgh Pirates pitches against the Athletics in the bottom of the first inning at Sutter Health Park on June 16, 2026 in Sacramento, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
Mitch Keller is currently attached to a five-year, $77 million contract.
If the MLB playoffs were to start today, the Braves’ rotation would be Chris Sale, Bryce Elder, and Grant Holmes. Sale, of course, is a bulldog, but I don’t know how comfortable the Braves would be with the other two options getting meaningful playoff starts.
The Braves, of course, have to reach the MLB playoffs first, but acquiring an arm who can help them get there seems like it’s in the best interest of the front office, and if Anthopoulos isn’t going to part ways with top prospects, it’s going to be very difficult to acquire the top starters on the market.
Mitch Keller has made 19 starts this season and has 77 strikeouts in 103+ innings pitched. His price tag should be fairly cheap.
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What Would it Cost to Acquire Mitch Keller?
Well, Keller hasn’t exactly been the most productive starter this season, but that actually bodes well for the Braves trading for him, because the Pirates may be willing to offload him for a cheap price.
There haven’t been any real reports of Mitch Keller being available via trade, but there was a lot of speculation and rumors of him being traded around this time last year, and those could certainly pop back up, especially once top trade candidates become unavailable.
As for what it would cost the Braves to acquire Mitch Keller, one can assume just one top-20 prospect could suffice, and then the Braves would likely also have to take on Keller’s contract, which would be much less of a headache if his ERA were below 5.00.
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