MLB Insider Lists Two Realistic Braves' Trade Deadline Targets

General manager Alex Anthopoulos won the MLB's 2021 Trade Deadline, there's no other way to put it. Now, after a feverish 30-10 record since June 1 that cut the New York Mets' division lead to just 2.5 games, Atlanta positioned themselves as important buyers.

In a recent "Trade Deadline Inbox" with MLB.com insider Mark Feinsand, one fan asked about the Braves' plans at this year's upcoming August deadline. Feinsand took this opportunity to list two realistic targets Atlanta should consider to improve the starting rotation.

Braves Trade Deadline

Feinsand first addressed the recent murmurs about a potential Joc Pederson reunion, but turned down that possibility because "Atlanta’s outfield seems to be in good shape." He did indicate the starting rotation "could use some help."

Mid-level starters such as Arizona Diamondbacks' Zach Davies or Cincinnati Reds' Tyler Mahle are options that Feinsand believes could "[wind] up in Atlanta."

Braves News

The reasoning is sound. Atlanta recently paid a hefty price to pry away Matt Olson from the Oakland Athletics including four of their top 15 prospects. With Michael Harris II and Spencer Strider now with the big league club, Atlanta's stash of prospects is thin.

With that in mind, it's hard to imagine Atlanta going after a frontline starter such as Frankie Montas or Luis Castillo. But, adding Davies or Mahle is a more realistic option.

Atlanta's rotation does need help. Strider has been great, but there's a question of his innings limit down the stretch. Max Fried and Kyle Wright also each own sub-3.00 ERAs, but Charlie Morton and Ian Anderson have not been getting the job done.

Neither Davies or Mahle will wow you with their stats, considering the pair own a 3.94 and 4.48 ERA, respectively. But, they could be vital to operate as inning eaters. This will be especially important because of Strider's rookie status. These mid-level starters do have one more year of team control left, which ups their price tag, but the two 50+ loss teams they play for will be sellers in the coming weeks.

Adam Taylor McKillop is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Adam Taylor also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username atmckillop. 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.