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The Atlanta Braves may be on their way back after winning their series at the Milwaukee Brewers this week. It's too early to tell.
But the Braves have a long way to go to be "back." They are nine games below .500 and the same amount of games out of the final National League wild card spot.
There's also six teams between them and that final playoff berth.
If the Braves find themselves in a similar situation with their record and playoff standings in several weeks, then it would make sense for them to sell assets at the MLB trade deadline.
The Braves don't have to hold a full fire sale. But a "retooling" or changing of the roster while looking ahead to next season is what most teams around 10 games below the .500 mark would do.
On June 12, The Athletic's Jim Bowden projected the Braves to do a "retooling" at the trade deadline but not by losing assets, gaining them.
"After subpar starts, the Braves, Red Sox and Rangers don’t appear to be postseason teams this year, but most in the industry believe they will make trades to try to improve their respective rosters for the rest of this season and next rather than being typical sellers," Bowden wrote. "The Braves will focus on acquiring more pitching (starting and relieving)."
The starting pitching has been strong for the Braves this season. So, bullpen help is, by far, the more immediate need.
The offense has still been a bigger issue. But if not for the bullpen, the Braves could have won another game in Boston and avoided a sweep versus the Arizona Diamondbacks last Thursday. The Braves relievers also gave up a home run with two outs and a one-run lead in the ninth Saturday versus the Giants.
Blown leads happen. A bullpen isn't going to never give up a lead. But those are three performances lately that stick out as missed opportunities for wins for the Braves -- especially the first two instances.
The question, though, is will the Braves really find a way to acquire bullpen help without giving up anything on their MLB roster? The elephant in the room is designated hitter Marcell Ozuna.
While a middle-of-the-order hitter, Ozuna is an unrestricted free agent this winter. The Braves are unlikely to re-sign him, so it would be highly unusual if the team allowed the deadline to pass without moving the veteran. Even if that means the Braves lineup not being as good for the rest of 2025.
If they are out of the race, Ozuna won't have any remaining value for Atlanta, but he would for other teams in the trade market.
Bowden made no mention of Ozuna, but maybe the designated hitter is the key to the Braves acquiring more bullpen help. However, that's complicated.
No contender is going to be willing to give up pieces in its bullpen for anything because that contender will need its bullpen for the stretch run.
One thing is clear, though -- the next six weeks are highly critical for the direction of the Braves the rest of the season. Even so, there's potential for an atypical trade deadline for Atlanta.
More must-reads:
- Mets fill need with trade for lefty Gregory Soto
- Trade rejection speaks volumes about Red Sox's Jarren Duran intentions
- The 'Multiple 100-RBI MLB seasons' quiz
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TODAY'S BEST
Aaron Boone Makes Feelings Clear After Yankees’ Big Trade
The New York Yankees didn't come into the season with the strongest third base situation, and it only got worse over time. They converted traditional second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. to the hot corner after getting him at the Trade Deadline last season and installed a timeshare with him, DJ LeMahieu, Oswald Peraza, and Oswaldo Cabrera there in 2025. However, the latter player broke his ankle on May 12, and the Yankees released the now 37-year-old LeMahieu on July 10. Chisholm was primarily back at second at that point, so this left Peraza and Jorbit Vivas as their only true remaining third basemen. With Peraza hitting .147 and Vivas hitting .164, it was clear what the team's biggest need was. That's why it acquired veteran third baseman Ryan McMahon from the Colorado Rockies on Friday. New York manager Aaron Boone gave his thoughts about the 30-year-old before Friday's bout with the Philadelphia Phillies, via SNY. "I know there's real offensive potential there. I know he's had real offensive success, as well as some struggles there over the last calendar year or two," he said. "It seems like over the last month he's really started swinging the bat like he's capable of. He can impact the ball, he can control the strike zone, he's had some swing-and-misses that have probably hurt him a little bit." "But then he can really defend over there," he continued. "The handful of times that we've played against them that I watch him, you're like, 'That's what it should look like over there.' He moves really well and has that prototypical good third base thing." McMahon is slashing .217/.314/.403 with 16 homers and 35 RBI over 100 games this season. He also has a .978 fielding percentage and six errors. Right-handed pitcher Will Warren (6-5, 4.91 ERA) will start for the Yankees against Phillies right-hander Taijuan Walker (3-5, 3.75 ERA) on Friday.
Seattle Storm Get Big Boost for Sky Game Amid Unexpected Angel Reese News
The Seattle Storm are looking to make things right after Tuesday’s 87-63 blowout loss to Paige Bueckers and the Dallas Wings. They get a chance to do so on Thursday when they return to action against the Chicago Sky in a road game at Wintrust Arena. The Storm got a big boost ahead of the Sky matchup, which comes in the form of seven-time All-Star Skylar Diggins returning to action after a one-game absence. After registering the first triple-double in WNBA All-Star Game history on Saturday, Diggins was unable to suit up against Dallas on Tuesday due to personal reasons. The 5-foot-9 guard was not listed on Seattle’s injury report for the Sky game, though, which means that Diggins should be back in the starting lineup come Thursday. This is a crucial development for the Storm, who will be looking to improve on their 14-10 record. In 23 games played this season, Diggins has produced averages of 17.5 points, 2.3 rebounds, 5.8 assists, 1.1 steals and 1.5 triples per game. Chicago Sky List Angel Reese as Questionable to Play Against the Seattle Storm While the Storm got some good news ahead of Thursday’s clash, the same cannot be said for the Sky. This is after two-time All-Star forward Angel Reese was added to the injury report with a back problem. The silver lining is that Reese, who missed Chicago’s last game before the All-Star break with a leg injury, is listed as questionable to play, which means that there’s still a chance that she’s able to suit up against Seattle. Reese looked fine on Tuesday as Chicago suffered a 91-68 blowout loss to the Minnesota Lynx, posting an 11-point, 11-rebound double-double. It is unclear exactly when Reese sustained the injury, but it has now placed her status against Seattle in jeopardy. It is worth noting that Michaela Onyenwere (knee) and Ariel Atkins (leg) have also been ruled out for the Storm game, as they continue to recover from respective injuries. This only means that Chicago will be significantly shorthanded on Thursday, especially if Reese also ends up sitting out.
Raiders Add Former Chiefs, Texas DT After Christian Wilkins Release
The Las Vegas Raiders signed former Miami Dolphins defensive tackle Christian Wilkins to a four-year, $110 million deal last offseason. Unfortunately, he only played in five games during the 2024 NFL season due to an injury. Wilkins had not yet returned to the offseason program for the Raiders this year, as he suffered a setback in his recovery process. A bitter, ongoing debate between him and the franchise about how best to rehabilitate his injury led to his release on Thursday. After this sudden move, Las Vegas needed to act quickly to add another defensive tackle to the roster. On Friday, NFL Insider Aaron Wilson reported that the team had been awarded Keondre Coburn off waivers. "#Raiders awarded DT Keondre Coburn off waivers, per a league source," Wilson wrote. Coburn played his college football with the Texas Longhorns and was drafted in the sixth round of the 2023 NFL Draft by the Kansas City Chiefs. There, he only played in one game during his rookie season, but won the Super Bowl with the Chiefs. He spent the last one and a half seasons with the Tennessee Titans, where he saw his role marginally increase. Coburn played in 15 contests last season for the Titans, starting one game and recording 14 tackles. The new regime in Las Vegas, spearheaded by head coach Pete Carroll and general manager John Spytek, will give Coburn another chance in the NFL. He is just 25 years old and lands with the Raiders after being waived by Tennessee the day prior.
'It's the violence of the cuts' – Dan Quinn details special traits of Commanders' rookie breakout candidate that can help the offense
The Washington Commanders already have a handful of players impressing at training camp before the pads come on and one of them can fix a major hole on the team. Commanders HC Dan Quinn was asked about a certain rookie on Friday and he had high praise for a late round gem. He spoke on what impressed him the most already and how he can standout even more in the next phase of training camp. Late round rookies like Jacory Croskey-Merritt usually take some time to see the field, but the opportunities are there for him and his traits set him apart. Making an early impression to Dan Quinn Training camp is vital for rookies to learn the new systems on offense and become acclimated with the pace of the NFL. Croskey-Merritt hasn't wasted any time with the coaching staff on showing what he brings to the table. The traits he showed on tape in college are translating to the field for the Commanders already. "It's the violence of the cuts," Quinn told the media. "You know that he can get his shoulders square and get downhill fast." Quinn also credited running back coach Anthony Lynn on how he's going to "absolutely get them right" in the running back room. The Commanders need fresh legs in the backfield after the running game fell on QB Jayden Daniels' shoulders in the second half of the season and Croskey-Merritt is like a Mustang with four fresh tires. He's got a unique blend of power and elusiveness that makes tacklers miss in the open field and more importantly shows the vision to make the right reads and cuts. That's what Quinn looks for in practice right now, making the right reads on a play. "Running backs are sometimes the hardest," Quinn mentioned. "But what you can evaluate is the explosion on the cut, the assignment, was the read correct?" The next steps at practice for Croskey-Merritt You can tell what traits a running back has in the early practices, but you start to see a clearer picture when the pads come on and things get more physical. "It's a hard one to evaluate in non pads," Quinn added. "Because you don't know if the person makes the tackle, did he break the tackle?" Quinn can't wait to see the offensive line and the running backs get the pads on and really tell where Croskey-Merritt gets tackled and what tackles he can fight through. If Croskey-Merritt can ramp up his progression in training camp and impress in the joint practices against the New England Patriots and Baltimore Ravens, he can quickly rise up the depth chart. The preseason is right around the corner as well and real live action has the biggest impact on your stock.
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