Braves buyers at Deadline as starting pitching needs grow

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ATLANTA -- You’ve heard about the need for starting pitching since the end of last season. So, let’s look at how adding a bat before the Aug. 3 Trade Deadline could bolster the Braves’ lineup.

Ronald Acuña Jr. is expected to return from the injured list soon. So, that will be like making a big acquisition, right? One or two of you laughed, right? Anyhow, his return will certainly make the Braves' lineup look much deeper.

While someone might need an occasional day to rest down the stretch, you can count on these seven players being in Atlanta’s lineup on a daily basis over the next few weeks and months: Acuña, Drake Baldwin, Matt Olson, Austin Riley, Michael Harris II, Ozzie Albies and Mauricio Dubón.

Where’s Jimmy Baseball? Look, I’d love to watch Jim Jarvis play on an everyday basis. But I figure there may be some instances where he sits against a left-handed starter and Dubón plays short.

Now back to what the Braves need. When facing a right-handed starter, the lineup would include the seven players listed above, Jarvis and Mike Yastrzemski. Where’s Dominic Smith? Unfortunately, that’s a question that could have been asked regularly over the past few months. Smith has a .597 OPS in 171 plate appearances going back to May 1.

As for Yastrzemski, he has a .859 OPS against right-handed pitchers (122 plate appearances) since May 12. In other words, he’s doing exactly what he was signed to do.

Looking at the lineup against left-handed starters, the lineup would consist of the seven everyday players and then a couple of interesting choices.

If Baldwin is serving as the DH, Joey Bart or Sean Murphy (who could return at some point in August) would be in the lineup to catch. The shortstop spot could filled by either Jarvis or Dubón. If Dubón is at short, Eli White could fill the left field spot.

If Baldwin is forced to catch against a left-handed starter, your DH options aren’t great.

White has a .756 OPS against left-handed pitchers this season. He provides great value with his glove and speed. But the Braves could seemingly find a better right-handed-hitting option before the Deadline.

What about Ha-Seong Kim? Look, he’s consistently hitting the ball hard in his rehab games with Triple-A Gwinnett. But I just don’t know if he would be a better option than Dubón or Jarvis, especially defensively.

Jarvis has hit .292 with a .791 OPS through the first 52 plate appearances of the season. He singled against Mason Miller’s 103.1 mph fastball in Tuesday night’s ninth inning.

Looking at Outs Above Average as a shortstop, Dubón has a +4 this year. Jarvis is -1 and Kim is -2.

Yeah, Kim still has two months left on his one-year, $20 million deal. But I just don’t think he would make the Braves better. So, the best option might be to ship him to a team that’s willing to provide a mid-tier prospect in return.

That worked pretty well last year, when the Braves sent reliever Rafael Montero to the Tigers in exchange for Jarvis.

So, what about adding a starter? I provided my thoughts about the rotation after Reynaldo López lasted just 4 1/3 innings in Tuesday night’s loss. It’s been more than 75 years since a Boston sportswriter penned “Spahn and Sain and pray for rain.” The current version would be “Sale and pray for at least four days of hail.”

Honestly, I thought Bryce Elder was pretty good on Monday. Through June 7, he had one of MLB’s top 10 ERAs over a 21-start stretch that went back to Aug. 24, 2025. He might not profile like a frontline starter. But he has performed like one. So, right now, he’d be my Game 2 starter.

López, Holmes and Perez aren’t starters you can rely upon to give you six-plus innings on a consistent basis. That’s not necessarily a problem in the playoffs, because off-days create ample rest for bullpens. But the Braves' bullpen has been heavily, taxed while the team’s starters have completed six-plus innings just five times in the past 34 games.

There’s no doubt the Braves need a playoff-caliber starter. But getting to the playoffs is going to become a greater challenge if they continue to put a heavy tax the 'pen over the season’s final two months.