While the Atlanta Braves are expected to be sellers at this year's MLB trade deadline, the team could look to add to one specific position.
Already, we've seen the team attempt to find options for the rotation, adding Dane Dunning and Erick Fedde. The latest trade was in response to the Braves losing Grant Holmes to the 60-day injured list. Holmes joins every member of Atlanta's rotation except for Spencer Strider, who started the season on the injured list. In an impossibly awful season, things continue to grow worse for the team and its fans.
Explaining what has gone wrong in the 2025 season isn't as simple as pointing to the injuries or the combination of underachieving veterans.
For a roster with this much talent to implode in such a spectacular manner took the perfect storm, all set up by the Atlanta front office opting not to bring in obvious depth pieces. While the Braves couldn't have anticipated this level of injuries, it is easy to argue that more depth should've been in place. Bryce Elder being the club's only clear option when a starter goes down is far from ideal. This continues to be on full display with Elder's numbers continuing to dive.
Braves Must Continue to Add to Injured Rotation Ahead of Trade Deadline
Atlanta needs to bring in another innings-eater, even if it is the same situation in which they acquired Fedde. The St. Louis Cardinals were happy to part ways with the expiring contract, tired of watching the veteran implode. Patience can be afforded in Atlanta right now, however, with the Braves simply needing innings eaters. The quality of those innings really doesn't matter at this point in the season.
Adding struggling starters allows you to avoid spending anything of note while not asking manager Brian Snitker to put together bullpen games consistently. Adding another starter like Fedde gives Snitker a chance to let the pen rest and simply ride out veteran starts, no matter the results. This is what the Atlanta season has been reduced to as attention has already turned ot the 2026 season.
It is hard for fans to cope with how dark things continue to become this season. There are far more questions than answers for a group that continues to ignore the obvious.