Braves trade proposal goes all-in amid horrid starts for Mets and Phillies by landing top player available

Braves trade proposal goes all-in amid horrid starts for Mets and Phillies by landing top player available originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The Atlanta Braves have had an excellent start to the season, and luckily for them, the rest of the National League East has been very unserious.

Now 6.5 games ahead of the second-place Miami Marlins, Atlanta has to feel very confident in what it has.

However, that doesn't excuse the fact that the Braves still need more on the mound, as injuries have continued to pile up. In a recent mock trade, Atlanta would accomplish just that, but would have to give up a good bit.

Braves Acquire: Joe Ryan

Twins Acquire: JR Ritchie, Owen Murphy, Luis Guanipa

“At 18–8 and first in the NL East, the Braves are in clear win-now mode, which makes a move for Joe Ryan logical. Even with a strong start, they can still look to strengthen the rotation for October, and Ryan gives them a reliable, strikeout-capable starter who deepens their playoff pitching depth.

“Because they’re already in a strong position, Atlanta can afford to 'swing big while ahead' rather than wait for weaknesses to surface later,” Ryan Shea of SI wrote.

The Braves are always competitive, so even if they were to slow down a bit and other teams in the National League East were to catch up to them, which they have to feel like is coming, no matter how well they continue to play, adding more pitching should still be a priority.

Ryan, especially, should be the most sought-after starter on the market this trade deadline, and him landing in Atlanta would be a big plus for the organization.

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