Braves to add Tyler Mahle to rotation in trade with Giants

Tyler Mahle. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Braves to add Tyler Mahle to rotation in trade with Giants

By Mike J. Asti | Last updated Aug 2, 2026 10:38 PM ET

To bolster their pitching staff for the playoffs, the Atlanta Braves are bringing in a veteran reliever and shipping out a project to do so.

Late Sunday night ahead of Monday's trade deadline, the Braves agreed to trade the struggling Anthony Molina to the San Francisco Giants in exchange for the more experienced Tyler Mahle, per a report from Robert Murray of FanSided.

Atlanta added more experience to their pitching staff

With a collective ERA of 3.69, the Braves, who beat the Washington Nationals 4-2 earlier in the day to improve their overall record to 67-45, are gearing up for the stretch run.

And while Mahle has endured an up-and-down season — he's 3-9 with a 5.13 ERA — the Braves are clearly banking on his struggles being rooted in the Giants' problems as a team. To his credit, Mahle does have 89 strikeouts in 94.2 innings, showing he can still overpower batters at times.

Braves are hoping Tyler Mahle can return to his 2025 form

Mahle is only a season removed from going 6-4 with a 2.18 ERA and a 1.13 WHIP, his statistics from his 2025 season with the Texas Rangers.

The Braves are acquiring RHP Tyler Mahle from the Giants for RHP Anthony Molina, per source. @ByRobertMurray was on it.
— Mark Feinsand (@Feinsand) August 3, 2026

He also has decades' worth of a track record to back him up, too. In the middle of his 10th season, Mahle has 42 wins, a 4.19 ERA and 842 strikeouts in 160 games and 159 starts from time with the Cincinnati Reds, Minnesota Twins, Rangers and Giants.

Anthony Molina has yet to find success early in his career

In contrast, Molina carries a 5.40 ERA from just three outings in 2026. He's only 24, but has rarely enjoyed much success early in his career. As a rookie in 2024, Molina finished with a 6.79 ERA in 35 games as a reliever and then posted a 7.27 ERA in 17 relief opportunities last season.

So while Mahle is far from a guarantee, the Braves decided to switch out a reliever who needs tons of work to find his footing for someone who can start, churn more innings and has been around longer.

Mike J. Asti

Mike Asti is an experienced media personality and journalist with a vast resume and skillset, most notably from time with TribLIVE Radio and WPXI-TV. Asti now serves as the Managing Editor of WV Sports Now, where he leads the coverage of WVU sports. He has also covered the Steelers, Penguins, Pirates and other teams within the Pittsburgh market

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