The Atlanta Braves are currently the best team in all of baseball. But just imagine if they also had the best player in baseball on their team. Some would say they already do have him in Ronald Acuna Jr., and while that's a great argument, there's no player on the planet right now like Los Angeles Angels' Shohei Ohtani. Would the Braves actually consider going after the dual-threat megastar with the 2023 MLB Trade Deadline near?

Do the Braves need Shohei Ohtani?

Just looking at the Braves roster, there are hardly any holes. From top to bottom, they have one of the fiercest lineups in the game, while currently leading the league in homers, slugging, and OPS, not to mention being near the top three to five in about every other offensive category. Just realizing that makes one wonder how preposterously lethal the Braves could be if Ohtani were then added to this team. And that's not even considering his pitching.

The Braves have been without two of their best pitchers most of the season and yet still sent two more starters to the All-Star Game and have the best record in baseball. Adding Ohtani would make for the deepest rotation in the league.

Again, just looking at the Braves roster, they really don't need Ohtani. But deep down, every team wants Ohtani because he gives a remedy in double-dose form to any team — he helps both your lineup and your pitching rotation.

If the Braves were to make a move for Ohtani, it'll be costly. However, here are some intriguing trade options to put on the block to consider if they were to seek him in a trade from the Angels:

Max Fried (SP)

Max Fried will become a free agent in 2025, but the Braves ace has yet to receive any contract extension after Atlanta won their arbitration case back in February (per MLB.com). Perhaps that's because Fried has had off and on stints on the injured list. That, and the Braves aren't one to overspend, especially on pitchers entering their 30s… well, unless you're Charlie Morton.

Fried will be 31 in 2025 and will more than likely be wanting a long-term, lucrative deal that the Braves simply won't offer. Fried will go down in Braves history for his Game 6 performance in the 2021 World Series where he dominated a formidable Houston Astros lineup, but unless Atlanta gets back to the fall classic before 2025, that may be his last with the team. It's worth noting that Fried is from the southern California area, so sending him back near home creates intrigue on both sides.

Kyle Wright (SP)

It'd be risky trading both of the studs of the rotation, but then again, the Braves haven't had them there all season and have still continued to roll. Plus, again, Ohtani adds to your rotation instead of just subtracting from it, so while it wouldn't be a loss, it would be the greatest of ones. Wright proved he can lead a rotation after his impressive 2022 resume, where he was the league leader in wins. By adding Fried and Wright, the Angels starting pitching would be massively upgraded.

Vaughn Grissom (utility/INF)

Grissom made a lot of believers last year, primarily with his bat, as he helped the Braves regain the lead in the NL East. It's his glove that has kept him from returning to the majors and why the Braves signed Arcia to a two-year deal. Grissom likely wouldn't be the Angels shortstop, or in the infield at all. He could essentially be a utility guy for the Angels.

Jared Shuster (LHP)

When Fried and Wright went down, two of Atlanta's young minor leaguers in Jared Shuster and Dylan Dodd were called up. Both were serviceable, keeping the Braves in their winning ways, but it was Shuster who seemed the most promising. In nine games so far this season, the 24-year-old has posted a 5.00 ERA, blanked 25, and holds a record of 4-2 in 45 innings pitched. He's just beginning what looks to be a promising career.

A monumental move for the Braves

There's some belief that the Braves are the best option for Ohtani because they're a team that cares more about winning than any organization in the league. That perception probably comes from their players taking such team-friendly deals. Whatever it is, it's seemed to build an unshakable camaraderie that's proven to have incredible sustainability. But would Ohtani willingly sacrifice millions of dollars for trophies? Only one is certain, while the other is hopeful.

Nonetheless, if this deal were to possibly transpire, it would be an earth-shattering move for not only the MLB but the entire sports world. The best player traded to the best team may happen from time to time in a season, but not to this magnitude.