Braves named as 'longshot' landing spot for top ace at trade deadline

The Atlanta Braves are currently one of the favorites to make the playoffs, having one of the best records in Major League Baseball and the first Wild Card spot in the National League.

However, the future looks a bit uncertain. Many of the Braves' top players are out on injury , including All-Stars Ozzie Albies (10-day injured list) and Ronald Acuña Jr. (out for the season).

Atlanta can use all the help they can get right now. According to Bleacher Report's Zachary D. Rymer , this puts the Braves in the conversation for acquiring Detroit Tigers ace Tarik Skubal , one of the best pitchers in MLB.

"Atlanta has weathered the storm since losing Spencer Strider to Tommy John surgery, but now Max Fried is hurt and [Charlie] Morton (age) and [Chris] Sale and [Reynaldo] López (workload) have their own concerns," Rymer said.

Unfortunately, one thing is getting in the way of Atlanta acquiring the All-Star pitcher: prospects. Compared to other organizations like the Philadelphia Phillies and Baltimore Orioles, the Braves don't have the prospects to trade for a pitcher of Skubal's caliber. On top of this, Atlanta has more needs at bat than it does on the mound.

This could be a scary time for Braves fans, especially when the playoffs seem so close. However, it's worth remembering that the last time Acuña was injured and Atlanta had to scramble for players, they won the World Series. Maybe 2024 will be a repeat of those events.

More MLB: Braves Could Acquire Bounce-Back Veteran To Add Needed Pitching Help