The Atlanta Braves have the best record in baseball and will be buyers ahead of the trade deadline.
Atlanta doesn’t have many glaring holes, but the Braves could look to make some upgrades with the pitching staff. Yet, ESPN MLB insider Jeff Passan connects the team to trading for Washington Nationals All-Star shortstop CJ Abrams.
“Best fit: Tarik Skubal (or CJ Abrams),” Passan wrote.
Passan believes the Braves need to swing back, and need to bolster their roster for another World Series run, which is why he believes Skubal should be their main focus. And, if they can’t get Skubal, then Abrams comes into play.
“So why Skubal? Because he’s Skubal. And because all those young arms — not to mention J.R. Ritchie and Cam Caminiti in the minor leagues, and Didier Fuentes at the big league level — give them the firepower to get him,” Passan added. “To beat the Dodgers, teams need to assemble a wrecking crew that can go toe-to-toe with the first back-to-back World Series champions in a quarter-century. Starting a series with Skubal and Chris Sale — and having Spencer Strider and Bryce Elder to fill out the rotation — is quite a place to begin.”
Whether or not the Braves will be able to land either of them is to be seen, but both would immediately make Atlanta that much better.
Abrams was an All-Star in 2024 and would take over as the team’s starting shortstop. He’s hitting .288 with 12 home runs and 47 RBIs, but he’s under team control through the 2029 MLB season, so Atlanta would have to pay a hefty price to acquire him, especially with them making a deal with a divsion rival.
Abrams Name Coming up in Trade Rumors
Although Washington is still competing for a playoff spot, the team could look to trade Abrams.
Abrams would fetch a massive return for Washington, and MLB insider Russell Dorsey of Yahoo named the shortstop one of the five players creating trde buzz.
“Nationals shortstop CJ Abrams was one of the many names floated on the trade market in the offseason. With a new front office led by president of baseball operations Paul Toboni coming in and a rebuild on the way, you could understand why Abrams’ name kept popping up,” Dorsey wrote. …
“The Nationals, currently 31-29 and second in the NL East, have played much better than many would’ve expected in Year 1 of a rebuild and are in the mix in the NL wild-card race. As they continue to rebuild the organization, trading Abrams this summer could help the team expedite that process. The shortstop has two years of club control remaining and could bring back a strong return, especially if he continues to produce at this level.”
Although Abrams is just 25 and likely would fit in well with a young core, Washington could opt for a plethora of top prospects for the star shortstop.
Braves Atop MLB Standings
Atlanta has been the best team in baseball all year as the Braves became the first team to 40 wins this season.
The Braves, meanwhile, also had the fewest games to 40 wins since 2003, as Atlanta was 40-19 at the time of reaching the milestone. Not only did the Braves become the fastest team to 40 wins, but they also ranks second in runs, second in home runs, third in OPS, second in ERA, and second in WHIP.
Atlanta is looking for a series sweep of the Toronto Blue Jays on Thursday.
Top MLB Insider Connects Braves to All-Star Infielder From Division Rival