Braves blockbuster trade proposal lands $75 million star in four-player swap

The Atlanta Braves should be looking to reload.

After being swept from the National League Division Series this year, the team can hope for a better 2025 with the returns of Ronald Acuña Jr., Spencer Strider and Austin Riley, who all missed significant time with injuries. But if they want to get the most out of those players’ returns, they’ll likely need to fortify the pitching staff as well.

Two-time All-Star Max Fried, who has played all of his eight career seasons with the Braves, will be testing the free-agent market this winter. If the Braves are unable to re-sign him, they might look elsewhere for a frontline veteran starter.

Proposing a blockbuster trade that lands just that, Scott Rogust of FanSided suggested that the Braves could flip prospects Hurston Waldrep, Drake Baldwin and Dylan Dodd in exchange for St. Louis Cardinals starter Sonny Gray.

“This may seem like a lot for Braves fans, but let’s not forget that this is a team built to win now,” Rogust added. “They will have to give up some of their top prospects to bring in a starter to help their chances in winning a World Series. Gray is a solid starting pitcher and easily the best in St. Louis’ rotation this past season.”

In Gray, the Braves would be landing a comparable replacement for Fried. In 12 big-league seasons, Gray has a 3.51 ERA and 1,724 strikeouts over 298 starts. Last season, he made 28 total starts with a 3.84 ERA. And in 2023, pitching for the Minnesota Twins, he was an All-Star with a 2.79 ERA across 32 starts.

The Cardinals signed Gray to a three-year, $75 million contract last winter and they might be willing to pay some of that down to get their hands on the prospect haul outlined by Rogust in this trade proposal.

Waldrep, a pitcher, is the Braves’ number-three overall prospect. Baldwin, a catcher, is the team’s number-five ranked prospect. And Dylan Dodd, another pitcher, is their number-25 ranked prospect.

All three prospects have some big-league experience and would jumpstart the Cardinals’ rebuild after a disappointing 2024 season. It stands to reason that they’ll be shopping Gray for a return like this. The question for the Braves might be whether or not Gray significantly boosts their chances of a deeper postseason run in 2025.

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