Could Braves be looking to make an early trade?

Through 59 games, the Braves are 27-32, good for the fourth-worst record in the National League. For the first time in years, it doesn’t appear as if there is a clear answer as to whether the Braves will buy or sell.

Most clubs in Atlanta’s position would almost assuredly be preparing to sell, but this is a Braves club that came into the season with legitimate championship aspirations. They had the second-best odds to win the World Series prior to Opening Day and are smack-dab in the middle of their championship window. It would be nothing short of a colossal failure if the Braves ended up punting with two months left to play in the season, and while that may end up happening, for now, Alex Anthopoulos plans to remain aggressive in an attempt to upgrade the roster.

“So … we have four months left, right? That’s a lot of baseball,” Anthopoulos said, via David O’Brien of The Athletic. “And the fact that we were in August and under .500 when you talk about ’21 — I mean, we’re just hitting June. We’re two months ahead of that. So if we can be aggressive, whether it’s making changes, making trades, we’re gonna do that. And I’m not wired any other way than to constantly look to find a way to do what we think can make this team better.”

Alex Anthopoulos has never been one to waive the white flag unless it’s absolutely necessary. There’s a chance that’s the case in a couple of months. The Braves certainly can’t afford to play like they have been since the start of May. They need to start stacking wins in bunches; however, Atlanta found themselves in a very similar position back in 2022 around this time. 

The Braves were 24-27 through 51 games that season before turning around and winning 77 of their final 111 games on the way to their fifth straight NL East title. That’s not going to be nearly as easy to do in a loaded NL East this year, but the Wild Card is still very much in play.

Unless that changes, expect Alex Anthopoulos to be aggressive ahead of the trade deadline, and he may even act a little earlier than he has in past years. As he did back in 2021, when he acquired outfielder Joc Pederson more than two weeks before the trade deadline, a move that led to the Braves first World Series title since 1995.