Braves predicted to make monster trade for $32M two-time Cy Young winner to contend with Dodger

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Braves predicted to make monster trade for $32M two-time Cy Young winner to contend with Dodger originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The Atlanta Braves are doing everything they can to make it to the All-Star break with their pitching staff intact. Over the past few weeks, the rotation has become one of the team's biggest concerns.

The Braves once held a 10-game lead in the NL East, but that advantage has been trimmed to just three games. In response to their pitching issues, Atlanta recently promoted one of its top pitching prospects two years ahead of schedule.

“Before Monday’s series finale against the Mets, the Braves selected right-hander Owen Murphy to the MLB roster for the first time. Murphy, Atlanta’s first-round pick (20th overall) in the 2022 MLB Draft, has a 3.88 ERA in 11 starts for Triple-A Gwinnett this season across 60 1/3 innings, as well as a 6.10 ERA over 20 2/3 innings in five starts with Double-A Columbus. MLB Pipeline ranked Murphy as the Braves' No. 6 prospect this season and tagged him with a 2028 expected time of arrival,” MLB.com’s Zak Kerr wrote.

The good news for Atlanta is that general manager Alex Anthopoulos 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.

Sports Illustrated’s Mark Morales-Smith believes the Braves could land Detroit Tigers ace Tarik Skubal before the deadline.

“The Braves are the best fit for both parties and have been the team most heavily linked to Skubal. Atlanta has been one of the best teams in baseball this year, but has been struggling over the past month. A big reason for their struggles is their banged-up pitching staff. This move would give the Braves the ammunition they need to compete with the Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League and give Skubal a shot to potentially pitch in the World Series,” Morales-Smith wrote.

Adding Skubal would dramatically strengthen Atlanta's rotation, and the two-time Cy Young winner has looked dominant since returning from injury. If the Braves want to add another ace before the trade deadline, Skubal is arguably the best option available.

Skubal is in the final year of his $32 million contract with the Tigers, meaning he could be a rental for Atlanta. If he helps bring another World Series championship to the Braves, the price would be well worth it. A postseason rotation led by Skubal and Chris Sale would give Atlanta one of the most formidable one-two punches in baseball.

More MLB news:

• Braves predicted to make monster trade for $26M All-Star, former No. 1 pick to pair with Chris Sale​

• Braves predicted to part ways with $71M World Series champion and All-Star after brutal stretch​

• Braves predicted to make monster trade for $32M two-time Cy Young winner to pair with Chris Sale​

• Braves predicted to make monster trade for $6.1M All-Star to save flailing rotation with Chris Sale​

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