The Atlanta Braves will be a fascinating team to follow at the trade deadline.
Before the season, the Braves would have been assumed to be buyers by nearly everyone in the sport. Now, they've been so disappointing that nearly any approach seems reasonable under certain circumstances.
The Braves clearly shouldn't make all-in moves to add talent for the 2025 playoff push. They're too far back in the standings and too injured for that approach. But what if they make a future-oriented trade for a player with some team control that also helps their current needs?
One Braves writer has an idea of how that type of trade could play out.
On Thrusday, Steven Teal of FanSided named Baltimore Orioles closer Félix Bautista as a top prospective trade target for the Braves this summer, due to his club control through the 2027 season.
"Bautista is one of the long-shot options for the Braves. He would help solve their offseason problem of needing a closer with Raisel Iglesias reaching free agency," Teal wrote.
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"He's continued to impress with a 2.48 ERA this season, including 20 walks and 48 strikeouts... He is a great option to consider with a cost of just $1 million this season. The asking price will be high because of that and the fact that he has two years of arbitration left."
There's no question Bautista would be nice for the Braves to have, but he might not be of use until 2026. Getting him now suggests the Braves still have some level of commitment to the 2025 playoff push, and that's not out of the question.
If Baltimore is in a selling mood, Bautista could be up for grabs, but only for a steep price. Is that a price the Braves are willing to pay in the middle of a nightmarish season?
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