Braves missed trade opportunity could have saved their 2024 season

The Atlanta Braves remain a threat to reach the postseason and do damage in the month of October. However, they haven't quite been the force that they were in 2023 and in years prior.

The Braves are struggling to hang onto the third and final National League Wild Card spot, with the New York Mets still in hot pursuit. Many of their trades haven't panned out either.

Kerry Miller of Bleacher Report suggested that they may have traded for the wrong players when trying to recreate their 2021 magic and that adding another former star would have been more beneficial.

"Atlanta's whole 'getting the 2021 band back together' experiment has been a complete disaster. Adam Duvall is hitting .155 since the All-Star Break. They cut Eddie Rosario after 24 games with a .154 batting average. And if you take out the series in Colorado where he went 7-for-13 with four home runs, Jorge Soler is 10-for-76 (.132) with one home run since returning to the Braves at the trade deadline," Miller wrote. "Joc Pederson was never on the trade block, thriving for a postseason-bound Diamondbacks squad, but that's the late addition to the 2021 roster that would've actually helped this year's team."

Pederson, 32, is having a strong season in Arizona, hitting .280 with 21 home runs, 60 RBI, six stolen bases, and a .930 OPS. He signed with the Arizona Diamondbacks this past offseason, but if the Braves were so intent on recreating their 2021 magic and getting the band back together, they would have been better off signing him when they had the chance.

Now, it's too late to make such a move, as Pederson is thriving with Arizona who is likely headed to the postseason. Meanwhile, Atlanta is struggling to maintain its position as one of the three NL Wild Card teams.

We'll see if they can turn things around and get hot in September.

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