Prior to last year’s injury that sidelined Cy Young winner Chris Sale with a fractured rib and landed him on the 60-day injured list, the Atlanta Braves were surrounded by speculation that they might be looking to trade the eight-time All-Star.
However, president of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos shut down those rumors, making it clear the team had no plans to part with Sale or any other key players.
“We’re built to win. Our mindset is to compete at the highest level,” Anthopoulos said at the time. “We’re committed to going all in, from start to finish.”
Three weeks later, the Braves might still be aiming to contend, but their results tell a different story. Although Wednesday’s 9-2 victory over the Athletics ended a five-game skid, Atlanta remains 11 games below .500, trails the NL East-leading Phillies by 13 games, and sits 9.5 games out of a wild card spot.
If the Braves — who are on track to miss the postseason for the first time since 2017 — are still in “win-now” mode, it’s clear they’re operating from a place of urgency. With Chris Sale sidelined, the team is in dire need of a rotation replacement.
One potential option is Boston Red Sox right-hander Lucas Giolito. The 30-year-old has rebounded after a shaky return to action on April 30 — his first appearance since October 1, 2023 — and has emerged as one of Boston’s most dependable starters behind ace Garrett Crochet.
Giolito, who signed a two-year, \$38 million deal with Boston ahead of this season, is drawing attention as the trade deadline approaches. According to The Athletic’s MLB Trade Deadline Big Board released Wednesday, Giolito is listed as the 36th most likely player to be moved before the July 31 deadline — with the Braves identified as the top landing spot for the former Nationals first-round pick.
“As of early June, Giolito’s 6.42 ERA made it seem unlikely that many teams would pursue a fairly expensive starting pitcher who hadn’t performed at a high level since 2021,” wrote The Athletic’s Tim Britton, Aaron Gleeman, and Chad Jennings.
“But Giolito has turned a corner over the past month,” the writers added. “In his first season back from elbow surgery in 2024, he appears to be gaining both strength and consistency. Over the last month, he’s been outstanding—lowering his ERA to under 4.00 while routinely pitching six or more innings for the Red Sox.”
On Wednesday, Giolito delivered six scoreless innings against the Colorado Rockies at Fenway Park. It marked his sixth consecutive outing of at least six full innings—a notable improvement, given he reached that mark only three times in his first seven starts. During that six-game stretch, he’s surrendered just seven total runs.
Unlike the struggling Braves, the once-underwhelming Red Sox have surged back into postseason contention, now sitting in a virtual tie for the final American League Wild Card spot.
As a result, Boston isn’t likely to part with Lucas Giolito unless they receive a return that addresses a pressing need on their big-league roster. One such need is at backup catcher, where Connor Wong has struggled mightily—managing just 12 hits, none for extra bases, in 84 at-bats.
Atlanta, on the other hand, boasts one of the top backup catchers in the league in rookie Drake Baldwin, who’s impressed with an .826 OPS and 10 home runs across 60 games.
The big question: would Braves executive Alex Anthopoulos be willing to trade a rising young talent like Baldwin to land a reliable arm like Giolito? That likely hinges on just how desperate Atlanta becomes in the coming weeks.
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