Another Braves-White Sox trade that gives Atlanta the reliever it needs

Once again, the Atlanta Braves are one of the best teams in baseball and once again, they are looking to become buyers before the trade deadline. As any buying team does, Atlanta will look to strengthen its bullpen. The Braves know how important a deep, structured bullpen is when it comes to winning in October.

This past offseason, the Braves negotiated a trade with the Chicago White Sox to acquire reliever Aaron Bummer, in exchange for five players. So far, it’s worked, posting a 3.45 ERA in 16 games. Even so, it doesn’t hurt to stock up, especially with the team having World Series aspirations.

While 2024 will certainly see some big names hit the market, the Braves may not need one of the biggest names in the game to help their bullpen. They don’t necessarily need a total overhaul of their bullpen, as this one has gone pretty well. But it never hurts to add a flamethrower with a little team control. The Braves could deal with the White Sox again, this time for Michael Kopech.

The White Sox will undoubtedly be in for a fire sale in the coming weeks. They have already traded some of their top talents in recent seasons. Michael Kopech, an intimidating right-hander, could be the next domino to fall in his full-scale rebuild. Bob Nightengale of USA Today noted that Kopech could be one of several players the White Sox could trade between now and the July 30 deadline.

This trade is also much simpler than a ton of trades in the past. Since the White Sox are losing a pitcher that they are going to lose anyway, they would probably want a pitcher in return. Good news for both sides, the Braves’ top five prospects are all right-handed pitchers.

The simplicity of this trade is probably as simple as a one-for-one trade, which is not very uncommon when dealing with relievers.

The Braves will likely offer a deal with number five prospect Owen Murphy in exchange for Kopech. And the White Sox would be stupid not to take the deal.

Murphy, 20, projects as a starter in the big leagues with a potential four-pitch mix. He’ll probably never be an overwhelming presence on the mound, with a fastball that will likely stay in the 90s for good, but his spin speed and pitchability help him here.

This season, Murphy recorded a 1.54 ERA, 0.73 WHIP, 60 strikeouts and 12 walks in 41.0 innings (seven starts).

With the White Sox absolutely selling Kopech, the Braves might be the perfect team to swoop in and get him. It might not be as simple as a trade, but it’s certainly an idea of ​​something we could see in the near future.