Braves Chris Sale Headlines Deadline Options For National League Contender

The Chicago Cubs are in the hunt for starting pitching upgrades as the MLB trade deadline approaches. Their president of baseball operations, Jed Hoyer, told Jon Heyman and Joel Sherman on The Show they intended to add pitching for a playoff push.

Upon that confirmation, Cubs Insider collected a list of four potential starting pitcher additions, highlighted by Atlanta Braves ace Chris Sale. Should the Braves put their reigning Cy Young Award winner on the market, he would likely come at a large cost. His recent resurgence and his extra year of control via an $18 million club option will require the Cubs to shell out some prospects to make a deal happen. Specific prospects didn't come up, but there was an argument that Braves general manager Alex Anthopoulos could seize the moment to bolster the shallow farm system.

Atlanta Braves on SI has no current knowledge that Anthopoulos is looking to do that midseason at the deadline. He's still confident that his team can figure it out.

Sale has a 2.79 ERA and a 146 ERA+ in 80 2/3 innings pitched across 14 starts this season. In his last nine starts, he has a 1.41 ERA. He's had much better control over baserunners as well, with a 1.04 WHIP in that span compared to his 1.21 WHIP across the whole season.

Cub Insider's Jacob Zanolla said Sale is "probably the best available arm on the market."

This would likely be true if he were confirmed to be on the market. Right now, he's not. The Braves are expected to be buyers for the time being. They're notably in a tough spot right now, but they're a long way from deciding if they're giving up on this season or not.

Heading into Saturday, the Braves have won three of their last four. It's coming off losing 14 of their previous 17, but if they're getting it figured out then they're not going to send off their most reliable starter in the rotation.

If the Braves are where they currently stand at the deadline, they still might go for it. They're eight games back and have done it before. That precedent is enough for them. Sale will be an X-factor in that comeback.

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