Three areas the Braves need to improve at 2026 trade deadline

The Atlanta Braves may have entered Saturday with the fourth-best record in baseball, but their recent performance would suggest otherwise.

The Braves have lost 14 of their last 20 games to slide behind the Los Angeles Dodgers and Milwaukee Brewers in the NL standings. Meanwhile, the white-hot Phillies have been rapidly gaining ground. 

It does not help that the Braves have battled injuries and ineffectiveness throughout the roster. Third baseman Austin Riley is in the midst of his worst major league season. The rotation has been battered all season. There are holes throughout the roster; however, the Braves tend to find a solution.

The Braves may be busy ahead of the Aug. 3 trade deadline. Let's look at three areas they may target.

Atlanta Braves' biggest needs at the trade deadline

1. Find a solution at shortstop

The Braves thought they had an answer at shortstop when infielder Ha-seong Kim returned on a one-year, $20 million contract. That has not proven to be the case, as Kim missed the first six weeks of the season after undergoing surgery to repair a torn tendon in his right middle finger after he slipped on ice during the offseason. He was placed back on the injured list on Saturday with inflammation in the same finger. Kim mustered only five hits in his 82 plate appearances between those stints on the IL.

While utility men Jorge Mateo and Mauricio Dubon have filled in well at short, they are more valuable in a utility role. As the Braves have several well-regarded prospects at short and recently promoted infielder Jim Jarvis to the majors, they may only need a stopgap option. If so, the Braves could find the production they have been looking for at short in the coming weeks.

2. Fortifying the rotation

The Braves have had 10 different pitchers make at least one start thus far in 2026. Four starters, Spencer Strider, Spencer Schwellenback, Joey Wentz and AJ Smith-Shawver, are on the IL. The Braves' injuries and general ineffectiveness in the back of the rotation have led to desperation options such as putting Reynaldo Lopez back into a starting role.

The Braves need more than another back-of-the-rotation stopgap. They need a viable option to pair with Chris Sale atop the rotation to provide a potentially devastating 1-2 punch heading into the postseason. As the Braves have several intriguing prospects in their system, they could land that second arm they need.

3. Adding an impact bat in left

The Braves' plans in left field were dealt a tremendous blow before the season began as Jurickson Profar was suspended for the entire 2026 season due to a second violation of the league's substance abuse policy. In his place, the Braves have been using a platoon between Mike Yastrzemski and Eli White. That duo has not exactly set the world on fire as Braves left fielders have combined for a .625 OPS, 29th in the majors.

There are potential upgrade options. The Red Sox have been looking to balance out a left-handed hitting-heavy outfield, with Jarren Duran being the frequent subject of trade rumors. Outfielder Taylor Ward could be a rental option should the Orioles decide to sell. Adding a left fielder could potentially solve their issues at short as well, as the Braves could potentially hand the position to Dubon or Mateo for the rest of the season.