Before last year’s Cy Young winner Chris Sale went down with a fractured rib and landed on the 60-day injured list, rumors swirled that the Atlanta Braves were considering trading the eight-time All-Star.
However, Braves president of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos shut that talk down. He made it clear the team had no plans to move Sale or any other key player.
“We’re built to win. That’s our expectation,” Anthopoulos said at the time. “We’re committed to going for it all the way.”
Fast forward three weeks, and while the Braves may still be “going for it,” they aren’t making much progress. Wednesday’s 9-2 victory over the A’s snapped a five-game losing skid, but Atlanta still sits 11 games below .500, trailing the division-leading Phillies by 13 games and sitting 9.5 games out of a Wild Card spot.
If the Braves truly intend to stay in the fight, it’s clear they’re in a tough spot—and they’ll need to find a replacement for Sale quickly.
One potential option is 30-year-old Lucas Giolito of the Boston Red Sox. After struggling early in his return from a long layoff—his first start since October 1, 2023—Giolito has recently emerged as one of Boston’s steadiest arms outside of ace Garrett Crochet.
Signed by Boston to a two-year, $38 million deal before the 2024 season, Giolito has worked his way back into trade relevance. The Athletic’s MLB trade deadline Big Board lists him as the 36th most likely player to be moved by the July 31 deadline, with the Braves identified as a top potential destination for the former first-round pick.
“Back in early June, Giolito’s 6.42 ERA made him an unlikely trade target—an expensive starter who hadn’t looked sharp since 2021,” wrote Tim Britton, Aaron Gleeman, and Chad Jennings of The Athletic. “But he’s turned it around, showing renewed command and stamina in his return from elbow surgery.”
In fact, Giolito has delivered six consecutive starts of six-plus innings, something he’d done just three times in his first seven outings. Over that stretch, he’s allowed just seven earned runs and trimmed his ERA to under 4.00.
Unlike Atlanta, Boston has played its way back into playoff contention, currently tied for the final AL Wild Card spot. That makes a Giolito trade more complicated—Boston would need an immediate upgrade in return.
One area of need? Backup catcher. Connor Wong has struggled, collecting only 12 hits in 84 at-bats, none for extra bases.
Meanwhile, the Braves have a valuable asset in rookie backup catcher Drake Baldwin, who’s hit 10 home runs and posted an impressive .826 OPS across 60 games.
Would Anthopoulos be bold enough to deal a promising young catcher for a stabilizing arm like Giolito? That decision may come down to just how urgent Atlanta’s playoff push becomes.
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