Coming down the stretch towards the MLB Trade Deadline, the Atlanta Braves aren't exactly where they thought they would be. They're currently 54-45, in second place in the National League East and 8.5 games back of the Philadelphia Phillies.
Thankfully for Atlanta, they still have a three-game lead for the top Wild Card spot in the National League. They just lost two out of three against the St. Louis Cardinals in their first series post-All-Star Break.
All in all, it could be much worse than it is, but this hasn't been the greatest start to the second half for the Braves. They're 1-4 already, and worse, have once again been hit hard by the injury bug. Starting pitcher Max Fried, who has been one of the best in the majors this season, is on the injured list with a forearm issue. Second baseman Ozzie Albies was also placed on the injured list after fracturing his wrist and will be out for around eight weeks.
These injuries add to the other laundry list of injuries the Braves have suffered during the 2024 season. Right-hander Spencer Strider, out with a UCL injury, has been gone since nearly the beginning of the season, while Ronald Acuna Jr., tearing his ACL, wasn't long after him. However, the injuries have been scattered through the entire season, with other guys like Sean Murphy, Austin Riley, and Michael Harris II, who still hasn't recovered from a hamstring issue he suffered weeks ago.
Braves' general manager Alex Anthopoulos has once again looked to be creative and go after any viable player that the team could acquire to alleviate these injuries. Presumably, that means it doesn't seem like the Braves aren't backing down from their postseason aspirations, and with the trade deadline nearing, if they want to bolster their roster, they're likely going to have to part with some top prospects.
Braves' top prospects who may be on the move at MLB Trade Deadline
What makes this trade deadline for the Braves so interesting is just how Anthopoulos will assess the team's projections. Back in 2021, when he made the move to acquire four outfielders to replace Acuna, it worked way better than most expected. The team was below .500 for parts of that season and only won the NL East with 88 wins.
But see, that's the issue: they won the division that season. That seems a whole lot less likely this year due to the Phillies' dominance. However, what does bode well for Atlanta this year is that the National League as a whole is down. The Braves still have the fourth-best record in the National League, and as mentioned, still have a fairly comfortable spot to earn one of the wild card spots in the postseason.
How serious does Anthopoulos believe this team can be if and when they make the postseason? Overcoming Strider and Acuna's injuries was bad enough and would have crumbled most other teams, but now you add Fried and Albies for an extended period. And you have to ask the question nobody wants to ask: Who's next to get injured?
This all plays into who exactly Anthopoulos will be willing to deal in a trade to help this roster that's in dire need of bodies. One of those would possibly be right-handed pitcher Cade Kuehler.
Cade Kuehler is the Braves' No. 7 prospect in their pipeline. He was one of last year's draft picks and is currently in High-A ball. In 12 games this season, he's 3-6 with a 3.74 ERA with 48 strikeouts and 24 walks. Some of the Braves top prospects are pitchers, but this would likely be as high as Anthopoulos would offer in their pipeline.
Another right-hander would be Darius Vines. Trading away Vines has become a bit trickier now that Fried is injured, though Dylan Dodd was just recalled to take his place. But then again, the way the injuries are running through the Braves' roster, you never know when another starting pitcher could go down, especially with older injury-prone guys like Charlie Morton and Chris Sale.
Vines has had eight games in the big leagues so far, with an 8-4 record and 5.45 ERA in 33 innings pitched. He's the Braves' No. 13 prospect but is probably the first one that will be considered to be put on the trade block.
Finally, if the Braves are going big-game hunting, then coming off their No. 17 prospect, Sabin Ceballos seems likely. Drafted in the third round of last year's draft, Ceballos is currently in High-A ball playing for the Rome Emperors. In 78 games, he's slashing .262/.354/.361 with an OPS of .715. He has three homers, 28 RBIs, and seven stolen bases. Because Ceballos is swinging the bat so well, trade suitors will be intrigued by that and should be asking about him.
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