Braves predicted to make monster trade for $32M two-time Cy Young winner to pair with Chris Sale

Jul 05, 2026 - 17:25

0 1

Braves predicted to make monster trade for $32M two-time Cy Young winner to pair with Chris Sale originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The Atlanta Braves have been one of the best teams in baseball for much of the season. However, a difficult month of June caused them to go from having the best record in the league to barely holding onto the NL East division lead.

With the trade deadline now less than a month away, the Braves are expected to add talent to improve their roster. General manager Alex Anthopoulos has already made it clear that Atlanta plans to be aggressive.

“I fully expect and hope that we will be engaged in trades come July. I'm not trying to overly excite anybody or promise anything. But if we're playing the way we are right now, we're going to be in there,” Anthopoulos said.

Atlanta's starting rotation was a major concern throughout June, and exactly how the team plans to fix it remains uncertain.

“As for the Braves' rotation, good luck trying to predict how that ship will be righted. Yeah, there’s reason to expect the team to pursue at least one top starting pitcher before the Aug. 3 Trade Deadline. But three or four weeks worth of games may pass before external help is located,” MLB.com’s Mark Bowman wrote.

The Braves appear likely to add a starting pitcher before the deadline—it is simply a matter of who. Fox Sports' Rowan Kavner believes the dream acquisition would be Tarik Skubal.

“Who can the Braves feel confident giving the ball to after Chris Sale starts the first game of a playoff series? Lefty Martín Perez has pitched well, right-hander Hurston Waldrep is back, and righty Spencer Schwellenbach is a second-half possibility. It’s a precarious situation with Spencer Strider injured and Bryce Elder falling back down to earth.Dream Acquisition: LHP Tarik Skubal,” Kavner wrote.

The Braves need another frontline starter, at least until the rotation gets healthier. Skubal would give Atlanta one of the best one-two punches in baseball alongside Chris Sale and provide another dominant left-hander at the top of the rotation.

Skubal is currently on a $32 million deal and could be a rental for Atlanta. Acquiring him for just a few months could be well worth the cost if it helps deliver a World Series title. However, giving up some of the organization's top prospects for a short-term addition would still be a significant risk.

More MLB news: