Tarik Skubal is undoubtedly the biggest name to watch over the next two weeks, and his contract situation makes every contender a suitor for him, including the Atlanta Braves.
Similar to when CC Sabathia was traded to the Milwaukee Brewers following a Cy Young Award season, Skubal could be traded anywhere. The Brewers got Sabathia, knowing they were never going to be able to afford keeping him the following offseason. Sabathia signed a seven-year, $161 million deal with the New York Yankees, and Skubal is expected to sign one of the biggest pitching contracts ever next winter.
The Braves are not afraid to spend money, but do not spend at the level of both New York teams and the Los Angeles Dodgers. However, as the Brewers did with Sabathia, the Braves could go after Skubal to make a deep postseason run, and then let him walk in free agency.
The Braves not only should but they need to if they want to win it all. Their rotation needs help, and in the National League, everyone has to prepare for the Dodgers. Chris Sale is still an amazing pitcher, but the Braves do not really have a trustworthy arm behind him.
Grant Holmes is solid, and Spencer Strider is once again on the injured list. Martín Pérez is having a good year, but he is also injured. The Braves have a great offense, full of stars. However, right now, their rotation is no match for the Dodgers, who could throw out a combination of Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Shohei Ohtani, Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow in a postseason series.
Skubal and Sale at the top of the rotation could be huge for the Braves if they face the Dodgers in the postseason. Both teams are fighting to earn a first-round bye in the postseason, and adding Skubal for the second half could help the Braves secure that.