We've all had our fun pretending the Atlanta Braves might be trade deadline sellers. But it's time to get serious.
The Braves will be back in the playoff race before long, if they aren't already. Winners of 14 of their last 19, the Braves are technically just 2 1/2 games out of postseason position entering play on Friday.
So rather than focusing on what the Braves might have to sell, let's start thinking about what the Braves might be after to improve their roster at the deadline. And there's one clear answer: starting pitching.
The Braves' rotation has been a surprising mess to start the year. Chris Sale hasn't reclaimed his Cy Young form, Reynaldo López and Spencer Strider are hurt, and the combination of Bryce Elder and A.J. Smith-Shawver has been subpar.
For those reasons, ClutchPoints' Josh Davis named Miami Marlins ace Sandy Alcantara, who has struggled mightily this season in his return from Tommy John surgery, as a trade candidate for Atlanta.
"At first glance, a Sandy Alcantara trade seems like a no-brainer. The 2022 NL Cy Young winner, when healthy, is a true ace. He's under contract through 2026 at a modest $17.3 million annually, with a $21 million club option for 2027," Davis wrote.
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"That combination of talent and control would fit beautifully in Atlanta's long-term rotation plans. The issue? Division dynamics. Alcantara is a Marlin, and the Braves know all too well how complicated in-division negotiations can become."
Through six starts, Alcantara has an 8.31 ERA with a career-high walk rate of just over 14 percent. It's alarming to see a control pitcher lose his command to such an extreme degree, but there's still time for the 29-year-old to sort things out.
Would the Marlins move Alcantara within the division though? It's a legitimate question Davis asks, and the answer may not be what Braves fans would hope to hear.
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