The Atlanta Braves have taken a lot of hits this season. They have a lot of starting pitchers currently on the injured list, with Spencer Strider being the most recent casualty. Yet the Braves still have the best record in Major League Baseball, so they are far from desperate.
However, if there is one need they’ll have to address in the coming weeks leading up to the trade deadline, it’s the starting rotation. The quality is certainly still there, but they could use some reinforcements if they are hoping to take down the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Among some of the top potential trade candidates listed by MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand is right-hander Sonny Gray. Feinsand lists the Braves as a team that could potentially trade for him.
“Gray has been one of the few bright spots for the underachieving Red Sox, going 8-1 with a 3.03 ERA in his first 12 starts of the season,” The 36-year-old right-hander has a full no-trade clause, but the opportunity to move to a contender could prompt Gray to approve a deal. Gray is in the final year of his three-year, $75 million deal, and while he has a $30 million club option for 2027, he can opt out and become a free agent if the option is exercised.”
Braves Could Be Logical Fit for Sonny Gray
Gray was traded to the Boston Red Sox last offseason from the St. Louis Cardinals. But Boston is out of contention, so they will most likely have to sell at the trade deadline.
The Braves are relatively close to Gray’s offseason home in Nashville, so that is a team that he could potentially waive his no-trade clause for. But the Braves need arms for their rotation if they hope to make a run in the postseason and possibly eliminate the Dodgers.
Strider isn’t the only arm they are missing right now. Spencer Schwellenbach is also on the injured list as the deadline draws closer for the Braves. Gray is somebody that can eat innings and rack up strikeouts at a high rate, so he could fit perfectly in Atlanta as they try to return to the postseason after they fell short in 2025.
Because of the money he is owed on his contract, the Braves likely will not have to give up a lot of top prospects in order to make a deal happen. He may just be a rental at this point, but he is somebody that the Braves can afford to potentially pursue in a trade to bolster their rotation.
How Braves Stack Up with Rest of NL
The Dodgers are the favorites to win another World Series title, but adding Gray could make the Braves a threat to them. They need a frontline starter, and Gray is one of the best options on the market as of now, especially with Tarik Skubal being unlikely for them.
It should be an interesting time as the deadline draws closer. Atlanta has the pieces to make a deal for a starter and move the needle towards October.
Atlanta Braves Floated As Trade Fit for $75 Million Red Sox Starter