Braves predicted to trade for $15M NL East rival, reigning NL wins leader to save rotation collapse

The Atlanta Braves' starting rotation has struggled as of late, and the last two games have been a perfect example of those issues. Grant Holmes completed just two innings before Tuesday's rain delay, allowing three runs while issuing multiple walks and throwing a high pitch count. On Wednesday, JR Ritchie surrendered five runs in just two innings.

The struggles have only been magnified by injuries, with Spencer Strider becoming the latest victim of the Braves' rotation injury bug.

“The Braves announced that right-hander Spencer Strider has been placed on the 15-day injured list due to inflammation in his throwing elbow. Right-hander Anthony Molina was called up from Triple-A in the corresponding 26-man roster move. The placement comes a day after Strider was removed during the fourth inning of Friday’s 7-5 loss to the Mets,” MLB Trade Rumors’ Mark Polishuk wrote.

The Braves are likely going to have to make a significant move at the trade deadline. ESPN’s Jeff Passan named Atlanta as a potential landing spot for New York Mets starter Freddy Peralta.

“Even with his strikeout rate dipping below one per inning, Peralta is still plenty capable of throwing seven shutout innings in a postseason game -- and that makes him worth a much better prospect than what New York could get with a fourth-rounder. He just turned 30, has below-average fastball velocity and is listed at 6 feet tall and 198 pounds. So, it's good to know that he doesn't succeed due to pure velocity, because he'll need angles and command in his favor even more going forward,” Passan wrote.

The good news for Atlanta is that general manager Alex Anthopoulos is well aware of the team's needs. He has already hinted that the Braves will be aggressive at the trade deadline.

“I fully expect and hope that we will be engaged in trades come July. I'm not trying to overly excite anybody or promise anything. But if we're playing the way we are right now, we're going to be in there,” Anthopoulos said.

The Braves need more than just another starter—they need a frontline arm capable of stabilizing the rotation. Even though Peralta hasn't been quite the same pitcher he was a year ago, his talent and experience are still undeniable.

Peralta is in the final year of his $15 million contract, and Atlanta likely would not hesitate to pursue an extension if he wanted to continue his career with the organization. Adding Peralta would give the Braves another proven arm and make their rotation one of the most dangerous in baseball once it returns to full health.

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