The Atlanta Braves certainly have been bitten by the injury bug this season.
Atlanta entered the 2024 season with massive expectations but injuries have hindered the club. The Braves still are one of just four National League clubs with a record above .500, but they have some serious holes to fill this summer.
The Braves need help in the outfield and in the starting rotation and Bleacher Report's Kerry Miller put together a hypothetical trade proposal that could help fix both issues by acquiring Oakland Athletics All-Star duo Brent Rooker and Paul Blackburn.
"Thanks to the season-ending injuries suffered by Spencer Strider and Ronald Acuña Jr., Atlanta could use both a corner outfielder and a starting pitcher," Miller said. "And while Oakland doesn't have many trade chips to play with these days—aside from Mason Miller, who isn't going anywhere—it could check both of those boxes in the form of Brent Rooker and Paul Blackburn...
"Blackburn still has a year of arbitration eligibility remaining in 2025, while Rooker isn't slated for free agency until after the 2027 campaign. Atlanta would need to offer up a fairly significant amount of prospect capital to grease the wheels here. But maybe Alex Anthopoulos can rob the A's one more time."
The Braves certainly still have a chance to make a deep playoff run this season but adding around the trade deadline seems like a necessity. A move like this could help in a major way and could be just what the club needs.
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