Aroldis Chapman was one of the biggest trade chips available, so how can the Atlanta Braves help their bullpen now at the deadline?
Over the past month, or at least the previous few weeks, it's become clear that the Atlanta Braves bullpen should be and likely will be the primary focus for Alex Anthopoulos and the Braves at the MLB Trade Deadline. But they might have to act quickly based on the first big trade of the 2023 season with Aroldis Chapman going to the Texas Rangers.
Chapman, who signed a one-year deal with the Kansas City Royals this offseason, was sent to the Texas Rangers at the end of June for a relatively modest price. The Braves had been connected as a potential suitor for Chapman given the need in the bullpen and the veteran flamethrower's performance this season. But now he's no longer an option.
So with Chapman off the table as a Braves trade target, where does Atlanta return? The price that the Rangers paid could be good news for Anthopoulos and Co., but they need to start moving a big quicker to make a trade for one of these four relievers to give the Braves bullpen the reinforcements they need.
Braves Rumors: 4 relievers to trade for with Aroldis Chapman off the table
4. Scott Barlow could be the better Royal to target for the Braves
To put it bluntly, the Royals aren't exactly rich with trade targets, even if the club does plan to sell at the trade deadline. Chapman was the arguably the biggest chip they had to put on the table, but the Braves should be interested in another veteran face in the bullpen, righty Scott Barlow.
Admittedly, I've been on the Barlow train for quite, particularly in the vein of bringing him to Atlanta. And it's not hard to see why.
While Chapman certainly garnered more headlines in Kansas City this season, the 30-year-old Barlow has remained a solid presence still, posting a 4.06 ERA and 1.29 WHIP. More importantly, Fangraphs has the veteran with a 3.32 xERA, meaning that he's statistically gotten unlikely to have his ERA north of 4.00 on the season.
That makes sense given what Barlow has shown for the Royals in recent years, posting a 2.42 ERA and 1.20 WHIP in 2021 and then following that up with an even more impressive campaign a year ago, ending the season with a 2.18 ERA and 1.00 WHIP over 69 appearances. To put it plainly, he has good stuff.
Barlow is only under club control for one more season after this year. At his age, he doesn't fit the Royals' timeline, which motivates them to move him. Because of the extra year of arbitration eligibility on his deal, he might be slightly more expensive than Chapman was for the Rangers, but he could be equally as beneficial to the Braves in the second half of the 2023 season… and into next year as well.
3. Daniel Bard would give the Braves bullpen another elite back-end option
Much like last season, we don't know if the Colorado Rockies are going to be sellers at the trade deadline, only that they should be selling.
If the front office indeed wisens up at the helm of a club that is currently 20 games below .500, then the Braves need to come calling about what it would take for the Rocks to part with veteran reliever Daniel Bard.
The former Red Sox reliever has been a stalwart for Colorado, even on a bad team. In 27 appearances this season, Bard has posted a 1.91 ERA and 1.45 WHIP, which is remarkable for a pitcher playing his home games at the hitter-friendly Coors Field. Of course, Fangraphs does have some cold water to pour on that with his xERA at 5.63 and FIP at 5.23. But again, that is somewhat tied to the ballpark and a bit of luck on top of that.
Even still, the 38-year-old Bard is now in the midst of a 1.5-season run where he's been truly dominant with the actual results he's put forth after posting a 1.79 ERA and 0.99 WHIP over 57 appearances with the Rockies a season ago. More importantly, he'll be a free agent after the 2024 season, so Colorado should be motivated to move him as they have more use for future assets rather than a win-now type of reliever.
The Braves need that win-now piece, though. Adding Bard to Raisel Iglesias and AJ Minter at the back end of the bullpen would be huge for giving Brian Snitker flexibility at the end of the games and more quality options overall. The cost should be somewhat modest, which means that Atlanta needs to be on the phone with the Rocky Mountains immediately.
2. Braves need to seriously consider a Kendall Graveman trade with White Sox
The Chicago White Sox have entered a strange space less than a month from the trade deadline wherein they don't remotely look like a contender still but are still within striking distance in the AL Central, just 5.5 games back of the Twins and Guardians atop the division. As such, the fire sale reportedly on deck from earlier in the season might not be as lucrative as once expected.
With that said, with the White Sox clearly still not in position to compete for anything more than a playoff berth by winning one of the worst divisions in baseball, they could still sell at the deadline. And Kendall Gravemen could be one of the smartest assets for the front office to move while also being a player who should be of keen interest to the Braves.
Graveman is in the second year of a contract that runs out after next season and pays the veteran righty just $8 million per season. With that type of contract for the 32-year-old, if the White Sox want to get the most value in a year where they aren't in contention, then trading him now while he's also in the midst of a season in which he's posted a 3.00 ERA and 1.11 WHIP would be a wise option.
For the Braves, Graveman is a fantastic option with role-based versatility as he can slot into to a late-inning role with Iglesias and Minter or become a high-end floater. Wherever they see him fitting, though, a veteran who has posted a sub-3.20 ERA in each of the past three seasons is something that could highly valuable to Atlanta's World Series hopes this season and moving forward too.
1. David Bednar should be the Braves' white whale of the trade deadline
One of the big questions for the Braves is just how aggressive the organization wants to be in upgrading the bullpen. Having said that, if they want to take the biggest swing possible, then there isn't a better option out there for the franchise to pursue in a trade this season than Pittsburgh Pirates closer David Bednar.
Despite the Pirates fading precipitously in the NL Central race over the past month-plus, Bednar has continued to affirm that he's one of the best closers in baseball. For the season, the 28-year-old right-hander has 16 saves with a 1.44 ERA and 0.89 WHIP with just one blown save.
This isn't a one-year wonder for him either. Bednar posted a 2.61 ERA and 1.12 WHIP a season ago and had a 2.23 ERA and 0.97 WHIP the year prior. He's been legitimately elite as a late-inning reliever, but a talent who has been mired in obscurity with the struggling Buccos.
With reports that the Pirates could be selling at the trade deadline, there's no guarantee that they would deal Bednar given that he still has three years of club control left on his contract. That fact combined with his performance, however, could make him their biggest trade asset at the deadline, especially for a motivated contender that needs a bullpen upgrade.
The sneaky truth about the Braves is that the inconsistency of Raisel Iglesias in the 2023 campaign could necessitate moving him out of the closer role. Bednar would afford the Braves the opportunity to do that and have him and Minter as the seventh and eighth inning guys and then bringing on the newcomer to finish it up. That's a more comfortable role for all involved.
Moreover, Anthopoulos has often targeted players with several years of arbitration remaining on their contracts in trades so he can then lock them up to an extension. Bednar fits that bill and, as such, would be a perfect fit for what the club needs and, just as crucially, for how they've done business to build a contender.
