The Atlanta Braves are rolling through Major League Baseball right now, and currently hold the best record in the sport as they prepare to take on the Chicago White Sox in a new series this week.
Thinking broadly here, but the MLB trade deadline is less than two months away, and rumors/speculation is starting to pour in. One can assume that the Braves will look to make additions, but do they necessarily need a starting pitcher? SI.com’s Mark Morales-Smith believes so, as the MLB writer recently mocked the Braves to trade for Texas Rangers‘ starter Nathan Eovaldi.
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Should the Braves Target Nathan Eovaldi for This Proposed Price?
GettyST LOUIS, MISSOURI – JUNE 2: Nathan Eovaldi #17 of the Texas Rangers delivers a pitch against the St. Louis Cardinals in the third inning at Busch Stadium on June 2, 2026 in St Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images)
Per Morales-Smith, if the Braves are willing to take on some of Eovaldi’s three-year, $75 million contract, they could acquire Rangers’ All-Star starter Nathan Eovaldi for prospects Garrett Baumann and Drue Hackenberg:
“Texas needs to sell as high as possible on the aging Eovaldi before his stock falls off a cliff. They can take advantage of him having one more year on his contract as well, and get some young pitching prospects in return, while moving a contract that could be less desirable for them than the Braves.”
Nathan Eovaldi holds a 4.10 ERA this season over 74.2 innings and 12 total starts. Eovaldi was an All-Star with the Texas Rangers in 2023 and a World Series Champion for the Rangers’ first-ever Fall Classic victory (also 2023).
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Should the Braves Make This Trade?
The Atlanta Braves are in an interesting position when it comes to the MLB trade deadline.
GM Alex Anthopoulos has noted that the Braves could be in the market to acquire some pitching, but doesn’t expect a huge splash. Well, how do you gauge the ‘splash’ level for Nathan Eovaldi, who has a wealth of big game pitching experience over his 15-year MLB career?
As for what the Braves need the most at the deadline, it might not be a starting pitcher, but rather another left-handed reliever or right-handed corner outfielder.
But it’s also very plausible that the Braves stay put altogether because of the amount of success they’ve seen this year, and the team seems to be clicking well + should return the services of Spencer Schwellenbach, Hurston Wadrep, and AJ Smith-Shawver soon.
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