ESPN names Braves top fit for blockbuster trade candidate

Alex Anthopoulos said emphatically the Braves are not going to sell at the trade deadline; however, he never said how aggressive he would be in addressing the club’s many needs either.

A lot will depend on how the Braves perform on the field over the next month or so. If they’re able to make up a bit of ground, one would expect Anthopoulos — who is typically very aggressive this time of year — to move mountains in an attempt to get this team into a position to win a World Series. It’s hard to punt on a season when you’ve got one of the best 1-2-3 punches in the game, along with one of the best overall players in Ronald Acuña Jr.

Over at ESPN, Jeff Passan and Kiley McDaniel just ranked the top 50 candidates that could potentially be moved at this year’s trade deadline, along with their best fits. The top two of which are very intriguing.

1. Alex Bregman, 3B, Boston Red Sox

Chance of trade: 10%

Bregman has been an elite big league hitter since he entered the league in 2016 but has leaned more into power this year, with his highest isolated power since 2019. Most of his underlying power indicators (barrel rate, maximum exit velo, average launch angle and hard hit rate) are at career highs. His $40 million salary — and the chance to opt into two more years at $40 million annually — significantly shortens the list of teams that would take on his deal.

Best fits: Chicago Cubs, Detroit, New York Yankees, New York Mets

Obviously, Passan and McDaniel don’t view the odds of Alex Bregman being traded as very high, giving it a modest 10% chance. However, because he has an opt-out clause after this season and the Red Sox did just trade away Rafael Devers, severely hindering their chances of winning in 2025, there is a chance Craig Breslow could consider another blockbuster trade before the deadline.

They also didn’t include the Braves in the category of “best fits.” Atlanta doesn’t typically deal with player options, which makes a deal even more unlikely. But given Atlanta’s needs up the middle, Bregman would be the type of dream trade candidate worth taking a gamble on. He is a Gold Glove caliber defensive player that’s played 129 games at shortstop in his career. He could also play second base, both positions that don’t seem to have long-term answers with Ozzie Albies struggling. So far in 2025, Bregman has recorded 2.9 WAR, hitting .299 with 11 home runs — good for a .938 OPS. That’s exactly the type of offensive force the Braves are missing.

2. Jarren Duran, OF, Boston Red Sox

Chance of trade: 25%

Duran had a huge breakout season in 2024, posting the seventh-best WAR in the majors at 6.7. He overperformed his underlying metrics, though — i.e., had some lucky outcomes — and those metrics have regressed a bit this year. Now he’s underperforming them — he has been unlucky — so his true talent is somewhere south of that star-level 6.7 figure but better than the roughly 2 WAR (commensurate with a solid regular) he’s on pace for this season.

Best fits: San Diego, Atlanta, Cleveland, Kansas City, San Francisco, Philadelphia

Unlike Alex Bregman, Jarred Duran has been the subject of many trade rumors leading up to the trade deadline due to the Red Sox’s surplus of outfielders. He hasn’t been nearly as good as he was a year ago, when he hit .285 with 21 homers and a league-leading 48 doubles — good for an .834 OPS. However, he’s still an All-Star caliber player in his prime with three more years of team control remaining after this season. Duran has spent most of this season in left field, but he’s also played five games in center, which makes him an even more attractive trade target for the Braves due to the struggles of Michael Harris II.