Braves should have only one target as trade deadline approaches

Life has a funny way of constantly presenting us with unexpected circumstances. The 162-game MLB season is no exception, and the Atlanta Braves are experiencing it in 2024. Before the season, the Braves were the favorite to win the World Series. Now that they’re 7.5 games out of the division and just 3.5 games out of the first wild-card spot in the National League, they may just be fighting to make the playoffs.

Naturally, when a team falls short of expectations, there’s often blame. With the trade deadline fast approaching, there’s a lot of talk about what the Atlanta Braves need to succeed in October. The usual trio always comes up in those conversations: a power hitter, a starting pitcher and some bullpen help. However, Alex Anthopoulos would be better off focusing his time on just one of those targets.

The loss of superstar Ronald Acuna Jr., who hit 41 home runs last season, drove in 106 runs and had a .337 batting average, was obviously a blow to Atlanta’s offense. Factor in the recent injury to Michael Harris II and the decline in power of 2023 MLB home run leader Matt Olson, and it completely changes the picture of the Braves’ offense.

Jarred Kelenic has done a great job as a leadoff hitter recently, but his production still isn’t leading to a lot of runs scored. The Atlanta Braves currently rank 17th in Major League Baseball in runs scored with 384, which puts them on pace to score about 698 runs this season. To put the magnitude of the decline into perspective, Atlanta has scored 947 will take place in 2023.

The biggest areas of improvement we could see AA target are the outfield and shortstop positions. The recent signing of Eddie Rosario feels more like an experiment than a solution. The ongoing struggles of Adam Duvall and Orlando Arcia have been highlighted in many of the Braves’ losses this season. Two potential trade targets AA could call upon are Cody Bellinger and Bo Bichette. However, those individuals may not be available or the asking price could be far too high for the Braves.

Atlanta’s pitching in 2024 has been more than good. As a team (starters and relievers), Atlanta currently ranks 2nd in all of Major League Baseball in ERA at 3.47. Max Fried, Chris Sale and Reynaldo Lopez have all had All-Star seasons so far and the bullpen has been impressive as well.

A season ago, if an opponent scored just three runs, it was almost an automatic win for Atlanta. Most of the time, even five runs wasn’t enough. Given the quality of the Braves’ pitching in 2024, that could give Alex Anthopoulos the freedom to do whatever it takes to bring an explosive offense back to Atlanta.

After winning two of three games against the first-place Phillies and coming back from a slump in Arizona on Tuesday, the Braves’ offense is finally showing some signs of life. However, Atlanta still has a lot to prove.

Monday night marked the first time since April 17 that the Braves won a game in which their opponent scored three or more runs. Fans are excited about the recent surge in Braves baseball, but now they have even higher expectations for Alex Anthopoulos’ success at the deadline.