Like Tom, I don't believe we MUST make ANY move at the trade deadline. And, I can picture some small upgrade from AA that will anger the masses. But "stars" are the players that "shine the brightest when the lights are the hottest." These are your POST-season clutch players. Like Reggie Jackson. The 2026 Braves are SOOOO much better than 2024 & 2025. Walt is as close to perfection (my opine only) as he can get. Unless getting "stars", I'm good with staying pat.
As much as I would enjoy watching Waldrep and/or Schwellenbach progress in time to carry the team through August and September, I'm concerned that with the Phillies surging things could get tight and I don't think our current rotation is strong enough to prevail. We need a strong addition to the rotation and another elite arm in the pen. Walt has been brilliant but he can't be turning the game over to the bullpen in the 5th inning every night. - the leverage guys are going to be fried by the AS break. AA, you need to make something impactful happen.
"Veteran Martín Pérez had perfectly crumulent results on Friday night..."
No one mentioned I'd need a thesaurus to read Braves Today! LOL
"But the other side of this coin is that the process to get to much of that doesn’t feel sustainable."
The pushback I would give is it has been sustainable for the first 1/3 of the season. And while I think Perez is who he is, it is not out of the realm of possibility for Strider to improve and Elder to maintain what he has been doing. And Waldrep and AJSS should come back in the second half of the season to bolster the rotation in house.
I am not interested in paying what it would cost to get Skubal as a rental.
Lindsay, assuming deGrom becomes available, what do you think would constitute a reasonable package for obtaining him?
Take on a $37 million obligation in a potential non-revenue season? Pass. Even more annoying, casually dismissing Raisel Iglesias for the 2027 season as if he hasn't been a jackpot $16m. investment this season.
Of course if the Braves listened to Mr. Crosby's last Big Idea, Walt Weiss wouldn't be at the helm of the team with the best record in baseball, a rookie manager named George Lombard would be getting a tryout instead.
With Hurston Waldrep and Spencer Schwellenbach likely to return later in the season, I'm not sure the Braves really need to sacrifice any genuine prospects to acquire a big name (read expensive!) starter. If the Dbacks fade, sure, maybe pick up the rest of Michael Soroka's one-year deal with an eye to extending him, health permitting.
Meanwhile, I'd be canvassing the wild card contenders who need an upgrade at shortstop. Unloading Ha-Seong Kim pronto could free up a sufficient 2026 obligation to shore up whatever we need most, be it another starter, reliever, or just cash-in-waiting to cover the next injury.
In other words, Lindsay, as the classic VW ad advised, think small.
Excellent analysis. While I would make a cursory call on Skubal, I have zero interest in bein
g anywhere close to the top bidder. Also have even less interest in the Boras circus while he drags out the FA process while shopping offers endlessly. No thanks.
Very definitley trying to acquire DeGrom
Would try to.involve Murphy as part of the package
Indulge me with one more thought… I’ve seen so many “AA has to get Skubal” comments in the last week or so, it’s maddening. Thankfully, Alex has a proven track record of not falling for the delusion that the “Braves have to make a move”. He didn’t sell-off at last year’s trade deadline, despite the clamor. And he didn’t panic this spring when so many commentators demanded he sign a mid-rotation SP. In both those cases and others his ability to ignore the noise and NOT make moves has proven to be correct.
Thank you for bringing rational thinking to the trade deadline discussions. In addition to AL mediocrity (will a sub-80 win team make the playoffs?), I see another challenge for the Braves to land an impact player. The teams with plitchers the Braves want (Tigers, Rangers, Giants) will see themselves as contenders having a down season, not as rebuilding teams. Just like rhe Braves at last season’s deadline. And the Braves near-MLB trade pieces don’t appear to match up against the other teams likely to be chasing the top talent. Additionally, will the teams with soon-to-be FAs sit tight thinking the new player agreement will give them a realistic shot at re-signing their FA?
Like Tom, I don't believe we MUST make ANY move at the trade deadline. And, I can picture some small upgrade from AA that will anger the masses. But "stars" are the players that "shine the brightest when the lights are the hottest." These are your POST-season clutch players. Like Reggie Jackson. The 2026 Braves are SOOOO much better than 2024 & 2025. Walt is as close to perfection (my opine only) as he can get. Unless getting "stars", I'm good with staying pat.
As much as I would enjoy watching Waldrep and/or Schwellenbach progress in time to carry the team through August and September, I'm concerned that with the Phillies surging things could get tight and I don't think our current rotation is strong enough to prevail. We need a strong addition to the rotation and another elite arm in the pen. Walt has been brilliant but he can't be turning the game over to the bullpen in the 5th inning every night. - the leverage guys are going to be fried by the AS break. AA, you need to make something impactful happen.
"Veteran Martín Pérez had perfectly crumulent results on Friday night..."
No one mentioned I'd need a thesaurus to read Braves Today! LOL
"But the other side of this coin is that the process to get to much of that doesn’t feel sustainable."
The pushback I would give is it has been sustainable for the first 1/3 of the season. And while I think Perez is who he is, it is not out of the realm of possibility for Strider to improve and Elder to maintain what he has been doing. And Waldrep and AJSS should come back in the second half of the season to bolster the rotation in house.
I am not interested in paying what it would cost to get Skubal as a rental.
Lindsay, assuming deGrom becomes available, what do you think would constitute a reasonable package for obtaining him?
Take on a $37 million obligation in a potential non-revenue season? Pass. Even more annoying, casually dismissing Raisel Iglesias for the 2027 season as if he hasn't been a jackpot $16m. investment this season.
Of course if the Braves listened to Mr. Crosby's last Big Idea, Walt Weiss wouldn't be at the helm of the team with the best record in baseball, a rookie manager named George Lombard would be getting a tryout instead.
With Hurston Waldrep and Spencer Schwellenbach likely to return later in the season, I'm not sure the Braves really need to sacrifice any genuine prospects to acquire a big name (read expensive!) starter. If the Dbacks fade, sure, maybe pick up the rest of Michael Soroka's one-year deal with an eye to extending him, health permitting.
Meanwhile, I'd be canvassing the wild card contenders who need an upgrade at shortstop. Unloading Ha-Seong Kim pronto could free up a sufficient 2026 obligation to shore up whatever we need most, be it another starter, reliever, or just cash-in-waiting to cover the next injury.
In other words, Lindsay, as the classic VW ad advised, think small.
Excellent analysis. While I would make a cursory call on Skubal, I have zero interest in bein
g anywhere close to the top bidder. Also have even less interest in the Boras circus while he drags out the FA process while shopping offers endlessly. No thanks.
Very definitley trying to acquire DeGrom
Would try to.involve Murphy as part of the package
Basically taking on 70M and sending Texas 35M.
If course there would be more unvolved
Indulge me with one more thought… I’ve seen so many “AA has to get Skubal” comments in the last week or so, it’s maddening. Thankfully, Alex has a proven track record of not falling for the delusion that the “Braves have to make a move”. He didn’t sell-off at last year’s trade deadline, despite the clamor. And he didn’t panic this spring when so many commentators demanded he sign a mid-rotation SP. In both those cases and others his ability to ignore the noise and NOT make moves has proven to be correct.
Thank you for bringing rational thinking to the trade deadline discussions. In addition to AL mediocrity (will a sub-80 win team make the playoffs?), I see another challenge for the Braves to land an impact player. The teams with plitchers the Braves want (Tigers, Rangers, Giants) will see themselves as contenders having a down season, not as rebuilding teams. Just like rhe Braves at last season’s deadline. And the Braves near-MLB trade pieces don’t appear to match up against the other teams likely to be chasing the top talent. Additionally, will the teams with soon-to-be FAs sit tight thinking the new player agreement will give them a realistic shot at re-signing their FA?