As tempting as it may be for the Braves to try and repeat their 2021 World Series run, trading for Joc Pederson and Jorge Soler isn't the answer.
Alex Anthopoulos could (and should) make some smaller moves to improve the Atlanta ball-club, which currently holds the best record in the National League and just took two out of three games against the red-hot Cincinnati Reds.
The Braves are the team to beat in the NL, and perhaps all of MLB were it not for the Tampa Bay Rays. This is why Anthopoulos will spend the month prior to the trade deadline searching for ways to add without subtracting all that much. The only issue with that formula? Well, as pundits have pointed out, the expanded postseason format makes more more buyers and less sellers. Trades between a pair of deadline buyers should be expected this season, which means the traditional asset-for-prospects trade format won't always be so simple.
The list of true sellers, however, is growing. Expect the Braves to contact these teams early and often, while also exploring other formats to improve the roster. This could include some familiar faces for Atlanta fans.
Former Braves to trade for: Chasen Shreve
Chasen Shreve is a former Atlanta farmhand who never really made much of an impact on the major-league squad. He did, though, pitch in 15 games to a 0.73 ERA with the Braves in 2014. That's not for nothing.
Since then, Shreve's career has been up and down. Spending this season with the Detroit Tigers, expect Scott Harris to receive plenty of calls about the right-hander as the need for bullpen depth at the deadline is expected to outgrow the available supply.
Shreve is just two years removed from a successful year with the Pittsburgh Pirates, in which he had a 3.20 ERA in 57 appearances. This year in MoTown, he has a 4.03 ERA in 31 appearances. Shreve is respectable enough to be a middle-of-the-pack relief pitcher, but should not be featured in the Braves back end. By adding Shreve, Atlanta could maneuver its bullpen and ensure their top relief pitchers get enough rest leading up to the postseason.
Former Braves to trade for: Drew Smyly
Drew Smyly is hardly who you would consider an Atlanta Braves legend, but he's a back-end starting pitcher that the team could certainly use given their lack of depth at the moment. Injuries to Kyle Wright and Max Fried have left the Braves rotation thin as ever, with Charlie Morton, Spencer Strider and Bryce Elder left to pick up the pieces. Jared Shuster, AJ Smith-Shawver and Mike Soroka have failed to fill the void consistently.
Smyly has proven to be a solid mid-rotation starting pitcher the last few years in Chicago. The only issue with this match is that the Cubs might not want to sell. As previously mentioned, though, if there were ever a year for a trade between two buyers, this is it. The Cubs have a player the Braves want, and it's likely the same on the other end of the phone.
Smyly is 7-4 with a 3.38 ERA so far this season. He has experience as a starter and a relief pitcher, so should the Braves need help in that department come the postseason, they know who to turn to.
Wright and Fried are expected to be back shortly after the All-Star Break, or around the trade deadline. As bright as that outlook sounds, injury returns are always bumpy. Trading for Smyly or another starting pitcher is obviously on Anthopoulos' to-do list.
Former Braves to trade for: Adam Duvall
Atlanta is lacking in the outfield, specifically at the corners. Adam Duvall, currently of the Boston Red Sox but previously a World Series hero for the Braves, could fit that mold.
Duvall got off to an electric start to the regular season, but then suffered an unfortunate injury. He has since returned, and is slashing .280/.366/.598 with five home runs in 23 games. He has played in right field and center field for Boston this season, but a switch to left were he to take over for Eddie Rosario isn't out of the question.
The veteran outfielder has fond memories about his days in Atlanta. In a recent interview with FanSided's Robert Murray, he discussed his connection to the Braves.
"Obviously, I was able to walk right back into the clubhouse. I had been there for three years before that. I stepped in and we didn't skip a beat. The other guys … it just goes to show how important a good clubhouse is. If you bring guys in, it's easier for them to just jump right in and mesh. If you have a bunch of "I" guys, then it's a little tougher. The group we had that year was fantastic. We came back 11 or 12 games from the Mets and won the division and win the World Series. We clicked at the right time and that's really what baseball is all about," Duvall told Murray.
Duvall also remembers his World Series grand slam quite well, saying it's one of his best career moments because of the meaning behind it for him personally.
"Before the game, my grandma was in bad shape. I got to FaceTime her. I didn't know if I was going to see her again. That really was tough for me before that game. I actually told her, 'I'm going to hit you a home run tonight.' God was there because the first pitch, I ended up hitting a grand slam. That was meant to be," Duvall said.
How can you not root for a guy like that?
Duvall back in Braves colors is meant to be.
