Atlanta Braves Named Suitor for Two Chicago White Sox Players

The Atlanta Braves have been named a probably landing spot for a pair of Chicago White Sox including a top-shelf starting pitcher.

Atlanta Braves could target Erick Fedde, one of the White Sox few bright spots this season. / David Richard-USA TODAY Sports

The Atlanta Braves could be making a few calls to Chicago ahead of the trade deadline. Not just to the Cubs for Cody Bellinger, but also to the Southside as well.

According to The Athletic’s Jim Bowden, the Braves could be suitors for two players the White Sox are likely to sell at the deadline. One would provide rotation help while the other provides an outfield bat and both would likely come at a much lower cost than Bellinger.

Erick Fedde - Starting Pitcher 

Bowden listed the Braves as one of the most likely landing spots for starting pitcher Erick Fedde. 

The 31-year-old righty returned to the States after having a dominant season (20-6 record, 2.30 ERA, 0.954 WHIP) with the NC Dinos in South Korea. 

Fedde returned to MLB as an entirely new pitcher. In six seasons with the Washington Nationals, Fedde had a 5.41 ERA in 121 games pitched, including 107 starts. In 19 starts in 2024, he has a 2.99 ERA, a 138 ERA+, a 1.13 WHIP and 99 strikeouts in 111 1/3 innings pitched. 

He’s even managed to have a winning record (7-3) on a White Sox team that’s currently 27-68. He is credited with more than one-fourth of their wins. I know mentioning records is archaic, but when in the context of pitching for a team with a .220/.282/.348 slashline, it’s impressive. 

Fedde is on a very affordable two-year, $15 million contract, according to Spotrac. 

The White Sox are going to want to boost their 20th-ranked farm system, and the Braves have some good prospects. 

Even then, it’s unlikely the Braves would even have to give up a top-10 prospect for him. It shouldn’t take more than a quality prospect in the bottom half of the top 30 that’s a few years away from the majors to get a deal done. The negotiations would come down to who specifically is heading to the White Sox organization. 

Tommy Pham - Outfielder

The Braves need another bat in the outfield. If nothing else is coming to fruition, they should be able to get their hands on Tommy Pham at a lower cost than most players they've been linked with.

Pham is having an average season at the plate in 2024. He’s batting .259 with a .687 OPS and a 96 OPS+. An upside is he has little trouble getting on base, possessing a .332 OBP. He knows how to draw the walk. The downside is the power hasn’t been there at all. His slugging has dropped almost 100 points from last season dipping from .446 slugging to .355.

So why would the Braves want this guy? 

Here’s why. Perhaps he’s just not a good fit in Chicago and could benefit from a change of scenery. If this answer isn’t satisfactory, I have this point for you as well.

Pham has a strong postseason resume. In 120 postseason plate appearances, he has a .846 OPS. In last year’s World Series, Pham batted .421 in five games in the losing effort for the Arizona Diamondbacks. 

The Braves can get a guy who puts on a strong postseason performance at a very low cost too. He is a cheap rental on a one-year $6 million deal. The Braves can likely take Pham off Chicago’s hands for a solid minor-league player who isn’t even a top-30 prospect. 

It’s not always about the big acquisition, it’s about the right acquisition. These are the types of moves that have panned out well for the Braves in recent years. It could be worth trying that strategy again if it comes down to it. 

The 2024 MLB Trade Deadline is scheduled for 4 p.m. EST on July 30.