As the Atlanta Braves try to recover from their massive slide, it’s only natural that teams will start inquiring about trades.
The Braves don’t want to sell, but they might have no other choice. At 29-38, they’re nine games out of playoff position entering play on Friday. That’s already a borderline position, but if it gets much worse by mid-July, they’re as good as toast.
It’s not as though Atlanta would conduct some sort of roster teardown, but they’ve got some veterans on expiring contracts who would be of interest to any contending teams.
One of those veterans, closer Raisel Iglesias, has had a dismal season to this point, which is disappointing on many levels. One might even assume that teams would be scared off trading for the 35-year-old righty, who has a 6.48 ERA on the season.
However, according to FanSided insider Robert Murray, Iglesias could still be a name teams inquire about between now and the Jul. 31 deadline.
“If the Atlanta Braves do sell, Marcell Ozuna is a name that will get asked about plenty. But reliever Raisel Iglesias could make sense as a trade candidate for bullpen-needy teams,” Murray wrote.
Iglesias was phenomenal last season, posting a 1.95 ERA and 0.74 WHIP in 69 1/3 innings. It’s not as though contenders will forget he did that, but he’s got to show some of that old magic over the next few weeks.
If he does, perhaps it will help the Braves escape the plight of being sellers altogether. But if they’re destined to bow out, getting a good return for Iglesias would still be some consolation.
