The Atlanta Braves could look to bolster their pitching staff ahead of the August 3 MLB Trade Deadline.
Atlanta needs to add at least one starting pitcher to bolster its rotation ahead of a playoff push. With that, MLB analyst Kerry Miller of Bleacher Report named the Braves as a potential landing spot for Kansas City Royals All-Star pitcher Michael Wacha.
“Since turning 30, Michael Wacha has been nothing if not consistent,” Miller wrote. “He is working on his fifth consecutive season with an ERA between 3.22-3.86 and a WHIP between 1.11-1.22. And after struggling in the home runs allowed department from 2019-21, he has been better than most about keeping the ball in the yard in recent years. One big difference has been his ability to work deep into starts. Wacha is on pace for roughly 200 innings pitched and 20 quality starts. Both would be career-best marks for the 14-year veteran. …
“Because of the two remaining years of team control, it’s likely going to cost someone an arm and a leg to get the Royals to trade him away. But they don’t have much else to offer as an obvious seller, and it would be self-sabotage to not at least find out what they could get for the two-time All-Star on a contract that just about any team could afford. Presumably Interested Parties: Braves, White Sox, Cardinals, Nationals, Cubs.”
Wacha is in the second year of his three-year, $51 million deal, so Atlanta could get him for two playoff runs. He’d also be a perfect No. 3 starter for the Braves and help bolster their rotation.
Wacha Could be Top Trade Chip
Although Miller links Wacha to Atlanta, the Royals may not trade the right-hander.
Given that Wacha isn’t a pending free agent, Kansas City could keep him for a potential playoff run next year. So, with the Royals well out of a playoff spot, insider Anne Rogers of MLB.com believes the decision on Wacha is something Kansas City hasn’t decided on.
“All-Star Wacha would likely bring the biggest return, but the Royals must decide if they’re willing to part with him. They will also see what the interest is in lefty reliever Lynch, who has two more years of control and past starting experience,” Rogers wrote.
Wacha was an All-Star this season, as he’s gone 5-7 with a 3.77 ERA in 19 starts for the Royals, showing he can be an effective middle-of-the-rotation starter.
Pitching is Braves Biggest Needs
With the Philadelphia Phillies continuing to close the gap on the Braves for the top spot in the NL East, Atlanta needs to add more talent to the roster.
And, the biggest need for the Braves is the rotation, according to Mark Bowman of MLB.com.
“There has been talk about the need to add starting pitching going back to the end of the 2025 season. The Braves have since lost four starting pitchers to injuries,” Bowman wrote. “So, Chris Sale currently stands as Atlanta’s only playoff-caliber starting pitcher. Reynaldo López could improve over the next months and Bryce Elder might eventually turn things around. …
“If Elder turns things around and if Martín Pérez regains his 2024 All-Star form and if Smith-Shawver is one of the few to find immediate success after UCL surgery and if Waldrep harnesses his command, the Braves may have enough internal options to fix their rotation. But each of these things is a big ‘IF.’”
With that, it’s likely the Braves will acquire at least one starter before the deadline.
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