When the Atlanta Braves started the season, it was a tale of how they would be able to compete with a stacked NL and AL Eastside heading into the season. So far, the Braves season has been a hot and cold stretch with injuries and trades, but a World Series title is still in the mix.

Any way you piece it, the Braves provided excitement leading up to (and during) deadline day. The deadline day trade with the Baltimore Orioles shored up the pitching staff, giving the Braves lefty starting pitcher Tommy Milone for a player to be named later. From a strength and weakness standpoint, the Braves probably didn’t get much better with the Milone acquisition. Best case scenario, the 33-year-old will stay productive and healthy halfway maintaining a 3.99 ERA he will provide with him at the time of the trade.

It’s simple: the team had a weak point. But once again, GM Alex Anthopoulos didn’t have the balls to cash in on a big-named pitcher, but we can appreciate he did end up getting a starting pitcher. Agree or disagree, the Braves sat this trade deadline out; in terms of a huge star to bring them to the top.

Despite the inaction, the Braves are sitting in a pretty solid spot. As things stand with the current slate of games, the Los Angeles Dodgers lead the MLB with 38 wins with the only NL team projected to outplay the Braves in the NL.

Although this could also be looked at in a different way, you could easily make the point that the Braves are close to becoming the NL’s most dangerous team, or one of the top clubs in the majors. Shame on the front office, who should’ve been more aggressive at the deadline and made the moves needed to put them over the top. Just imagine if GM Anthopoulos acquired Lance Lynn from the Texas Rangers or Mike Minor to enhance the starting rotation; or even Mike Clevinger from the Cleveland Indians. The starters (Lynn & Clevinger) are straight frontline starters who can alter a rotation, and even if Minor is not pitching as strong as he was in 2019, he is most certainly a move the needle guy in terms of lengthening the Braves’ starting rotation.