3 Most Likely Braves Trade Targets at the Deadline

A 15-2 record in June has erased the Atlanta Braves' lackluster start to the 2022 MLB season, leaving them only 5.5 games back of New York Mets for the NL East lead. Even though there's still that deficit to overcome, things are looking a lot brighter in Atlanta.

The Braves might have faith in their current roster, but there's always room for improvement. With the trade deadline quickly approaching, there should be plenty of opportunities for general manager Alex Anthopoulos to upgrade his club.

The MLB trade deadline is August 2, and these three players are the most likely to be targeted by the Braves before the first week in August.

Braves Trade Rumors

1. Ben Gamel, OF — Pittsburgh Pirates

Teams can never go wrong with too much outfield depth and the Braves could use someone like Ben Gamel to replace Alex Dickerson on the bench now that he's in the minors. The Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder is batting significantly better (.257) than Dickerson was (.121) and has demonstrated the ability to play all three outfield positions. In addition to also recording three home runs and 17 RBIs in 45 games, Gamel hasn't recorded a fielding error since 2019. The upcoming free agent is currently healing from a hamstring injury but should be back in the next few weeks, meaning the Braves (and any other team interested in his services) have nothing to worry about.

2. Tyler Mahle, SP — Cincinnati Reds

The Cincinnati Reds will likely be in fire sale mode ahead of the trade deadline, making Tyler Mahle one player that the Braves should be calling up. The 27-year-old starter would give Atlanta the fifth reliable starter that they've desperately been looking for. Mahle's 2-5 record and 4.46 ERA in 14 starts might not look glamorous, but it's solid after how bad the Reds have been. He's capable of pitching much better than he has, as indicated by his 10.4 strikeouts per nine innings, and a move to Atlanta might be the breath of fresh air he needs. With Mahle being arbitration-eligible for one more year, the Braves could also rest easy knowing that he'd be more than a rental.

3. Mitch Haniger, OF — Seattle Mariners

If the Seattle Mariners can't turn things around, they could also be deadline sellers. Outfielder Mitch Haniger is currently recovering from a high-ankle sprain but is expected to be healthy next month. If the Mariners are taking calls on him, the Braves should be on Line 1. Yes, the 31-year-old has struggled with a .200 batting average in nine games this season, but he also has 42 HRs and 107 RBIs in his last 166 games. It might take a lot for Atlanta to grab him from Seattle, but Haniger is set to become a free agent and sending him to the Braves would be better for the Mariners than losing him for nothing. If the price is right and he can bounce back, Haniger would be a great fit for the Braves.

Devon Platana is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Devon Platana also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username PepeSilvia0. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.