The Braves are stuck in neutral, losers of five straight, which is the longest streak for this club since 2017.

Matt Olson tied the game in Baltimore Wednesday night with a two-run home run, and it appeared the squad had found new energy, but nothing is going right for the Braves.

When the offense finally does its job, the pitching staff, which had been outstanding all season, falters. Last night, Joe Jimenez blew a lead. This is not a knock on Jimenez; he has been excellent for the most part. It’s a perfect microcosm of the Atlanta Braves’ season so far.

As the summer progresses, the trade deadline chatter intensifies, and it’s clear that Alex Anthopoulos will be wheeling and dealing. Jim Bowden of The Athletic suggested three Braves trade targets, which I will address further.

Jim Bowden’s Braves Trade Targets

OF: Tommy Pham, Eddie Rosario, Gavin Sheets, Jake McCarthy, Ian Happ, Heston Kjerstad, Jesús Sánchez, Jake Fraley, Michael Conforto, Randy Arozarena, Wenceel Pérez, Mike Yastrzemski
SP: Erick Fedde, Trevor Williams (IL), Paul Blackburn (IL)

However, the locker room fit is also an important consideration for Atlanta and Alex Anthopoulos. Pham went unsigned for the whole winter and was only signed by the minor league White Sox, despite playing a critical part in guiding a youthful club from Arizona to the World Series just a few months prior. That is something to consider.

Despite the connections between the Braves’ 2024 and 2021 seasons, Eddie Rosario should not be in the plans. The 2021 NLCS MVP has a 71 OPS+ (29% below league average), only seven home runs, and a batting average below the Mendoza Line. I hope the Braves can do better than that.

Gavin Sheets has a.238 batting average and.421 slugging percentage, courtesy to 15 extra-base hits and seven home runs. He won’t put the Braves lineup on his back, but he has more than enough power to pique interest.

Jake McCarthy is a youthful, manageable outfielder who can bat.276 with a 119 OPS+ and nine stolen bases. However, if the Diamondbacks are still in contention for the playoffs at the deadline, they may not want to trade McCarthy. Furthermore, he is under team control through the 2028 season.

At last year’s trade deadline, Ian Happ was mentioned among the Braves’ potential trade targets. The Cubs veteran signed a three-year contract worth $61 million in April 2023, so it’s something to think about in any transaction, whether Chicago takes any of that money or not. Furthermore, the Cubs have a record just under.500, so they could be buyers at the deadline.

Michael Conforto, 31, signed a two-year, $36 million agreement with the Giants in January 2023. Overall, he has taken a step back from his Mets production. He’s demonstrated some power, but he’s struggled. He might be a buy-low candidate while also providing stability in 2025.

Randy Arozarena is the sexiest name here, but he’s having his worst season. Through his first 66 games, he’s hitting.174/.282/.317, with eight home runs and 20 RBI. Arozarena has two years of arbitration left and made $8.1 million this season. The Braves have been considered as a popular landing point, but many other organizations will be interested in the Rays’ best player.