Braves Urged to Upgrade Offensive Depth at MLB Trade Deadline

Now more than halfway through the 2025 season, it's clear the Atlanta Braves need offensive upgrades. But they might not come at the MLB level at the league's trade deadline this July.

On Tuesday, MLB.com named every way all 30 teams can upgrade their organization with the trade deadline at the end of the month. MLB.com's Mark Bowman identified "position player prospects" as the area where the Braves need to improve the most.

"The Braves may not get much in return from trading Marcell Ozuna, Ozzie Albies or Raisel Iglesias, but they can at least add some bats to a farm system barren of quality position players," Bowman wrote. "The starting rotation looks solid with Spencer Strider, Spencer Schwellenbach and Grant Holmes controllable over the next few years. JR Ritchie and Cam Caminiti should also make their way toward the Majors within the next few seasons.

"But this is an organization that needs to begin finding position players who can at least provide the internal depth that doesn’t currently exist."

Honestly, more starting pitcher depth wouldn't be the worst thing for the Braves either. Yes, Bowman is correct that JR Ritchie and Cam Caminiti are on their way, but if Atlanta has learned anything from this season, it's that an organization cannot have enough starting pitchers.

The Braves allowed Max Fried and Charlie Morton to leave in free agency last winter. With those two departures alone, Atlanta lost 352 innings from the 2024 starting rotation.

The team was counting on youngsters such as AJ Smith-Shawver and the return of Spencer Strider to make up that difference. Those things did for a while, but Smith-Shawver went out for the season at the end of May because of an elbow injury. Over the last two weeks, the Braves have also lost Chris Sale and Spencer Schwellenbach.

Atlanta also lost Reynaldo López during the first week of the regular season.

With all of those losses, the only starting pitchers left for the Braves who made more than two starts in 2024 are Bryce Elder and Grant Holmes.

More pitching is always a good idea. Still, Bowman rightfully identified position player depth the biggest Atlanta need.

The Braves need guys like Austin Riley and Ozzie Albies to return to All-Star form. But the organization could help itself with a better bench in 2026.

Guys like Alex Verdugo, Eli White, Jarred Kelenic, Stuart Fairchild and Bryan De La Cruz have received far too many at-bats in Atlanta this season.