At 28-37 and way out of both the divisional and wild card race, there are legitimate questions about whether the Atlanta Braves will be buyers or sellers at the trade deadline. Even as bad as things have gone, Alex Anthopoulos would prefer to be aggressive. It’s in his nature this time of year, and it would be impossible to forget what the Braves were able to accomplish in the midst of adversity back in 2021, thanks in large part to the trade deadline acquisitions.

However, the Braves are flirting dangerously with a hole that might be too deep to overcome. If they don’t start stringing together wins to make up some ground, Anthopoulos may be left with no choice but to start thinking about the future.

This will be a two-part series discussing the Atlanta Braves from both sides of the fence. In this piece, I’ll be covering what the Braves can offer teams that are selling in an attempt to make a second half surge. Later this week, I’ll discuss some of their sellable assets that teams will come calling on if this downward spiral continues.

Braves Best Trade Chips

5. Hurston Waldrep

Waldrep came into the season as a consensus top-five prospect in the Braves organization, and he’s still probably right around there after the graduations of AJ Smith-Shawver and Drake Baldwin. However, he’s really struggled this season, with his ERA rising to 6.35 following a Sunday start in which he allowed six earned runs and recorded just one out.

Waldrep’s been tinkering with his mechanics all season, and there have been moments. But for the most part, he still doesn’t have the control needed to find success at the AAA level, let alone the majors. There are understandably concerns about his future as a starting pitcher, but his floor as a reliever and overall upside still make him a valuable trade chip.

4. JR Ritchie

After appearing in just 16 games between 2023 and 2024 because of Tommy John surgery, JR Ritchie is establishing himself as arguably the Braves top pitching prospect. He owns a 1.92 ERA this season between High-A Rome and AA Columbus, with 58 strikeouts compared to just 20 walks. Ritchie is one of the safer pitching prospects in the Braves system that projects as a middle of the rotation starter.

3. Cam Caminiti

In terms of upside as a potential frontline starter, Cam Caminiti probably takes the cake. The 18-year-old 2024 first-round selection made his debut for the Low-A Augusta GreenJackets over the weekend and struck out eight batters, allowing just one earned run on one hit. He already has four-plus pitches in his arsenal, which is quite remarkable for a prospect that just graduated high school. The haul would have to be significant for the Braves to move Caminiti, but it’s certainly on the table given just how many talented prospect arms are in the system.

2. Sean Murphy

This is where things get interesting. Even if the Braves find themselves in a buying situation, they could look to offload Sean Murphy in an attempt to bolster other areas of their roster. Two-thirds of the league would love to have Murphy on their team, but the Braves look to have their catcher of the future in Drake Baldwin. With other needs in the rotation, bullpen, and at left field and shortstop, Atlanta could potentially find long-term answers in those areas by moving off Murphy.

1. Drake Baldwin

Trading Drake Baldwin after the way he’s played as a rookie would be a gut-punch to all of Braves Country. He looks like a future star, has been the club’s second best offensive player, and is showing he’s also elite defensively behind the plate. Throw in the fact that he’s making pennies and is not even arbitration eligible until 2028, and it would take an unbelievable haul for the Braves to even consider trading Baldwin. However, with Murphy on the roster, there are probably some blockbuster deals that would force Alex Anthopoulos to at least consider it.