Right now, the Atlanta Braves look more like a jigsaw puzzle with missing pieces than a World Series contender. And as July creeps closer, so does the pressure on President of Baseball Ops Alex Anthopoulos, who suddenly finds himself staring at a to-do list long enough to wrap around Truist Park. Atlanta’s roster isn’t just springing a leak — it’s taking on water from all sides, and the trade deadline might be the only lifeboat in sight.
A Closer Could Change Everything
Let’s start with the bullpen. Despite having a few bright spots, it still feels like a house of cards waiting to collapse. Raisel Iglesias has strung together some encouraging outings, but when your “closer” doesn’t inspire confidence in October-level pressure, you’ve got a problem.
The Braves need a proven, postseason-tested closer. Not just someone who can get three outs — someone who can come in when the tying run’s on second in Game 5 and make it look routine. Slide Iglesias into the eighth inning, pair him with Pierce Johnson, Daysbel Hernandez, Dylan Lee, and Aaron Bummer, and suddenly, you’ve got a bullpen that might actually keep you in a playoff game rather than sweat its way through it.
But here’s the thing — the bullpen isn’t even the biggest fire right now.
Four Automatic Outs in the Braves Lineup
Atlanta’s offense has completely disappeared in too many spots. Let’s call it what it is — Michael Harris II, Ozzie Albies, Nick Allen, and either Alex Verdugo or Eli White, depending on the day, are giving the Braves nothing. That’s four black holes in a lineup that was supposed to be among the best in baseball.
Bringing back Jurickson Profar is fine — he’ll help in the short term, but he’s not postseason eligible. Even at his best, he’s not the kind of addition that changes a team’s October destiny. What the Braves really need is two starting-caliber outfielders and fast. Think 2021.
Anthopoulos brought in Jorge Soler, Eddie Rosario, and Joc Pederson and just said, “Let the bats sort it out.” That’s the energy the Braves need to recapture — mix, match, ride the hot hand, and patch the holes before they sink the ship.
Rotation Depth? What Depth?
Then there’s the rotation. Chris Sale’s injury wasn’t just a speed bump — it’s opened a crater. Right now, the Braves are relying on Bryce Elder and Didier Fuentes, a 20-year-old with five big-league starts, to hold down two spots in a five-man rotation. That’s not depth — that’s desperation.
Anthopoulos doesn’t need to swing for a frontline ace, but a dependable back-end starter could go a long way. Someone who can give you five or six solid innings and not implode when the stakes rise.
Braves Trade Deadline Mission
This isn’t a one-move deadline. The Braves need relief help, two outfielders, and at least one starter — and that’s if everything else stays steady. This is shaping up to be a trade deadline that might have to rival 2021 — not just in scale but in impact. That year, Anthopoulos pulled off a magic trick that ended in a World Series trophy.
Now? The stakes are just as high, but the roster might be in even worse shape. Anthopoulos is going to need to get bold, creative, and maybe a little lucky to pull off the kind of Braves roster overhaul that can salvage this season.
