The Braves are struggling this year, but that does not mean they should become sellers at the MLB trade deadline.

The Atlanta Braves are one of the bigger surprises in baseball this season. The Braves are nine games under .500, and they have lost eight of their last 10 games heading into Tuesday’s tilt with the Milwaukee Brewers.

However, the Braves are not as bad as their record suggests. In fact, Atlanta is one of just two teams with a losing record to have a positive run differential. Their lineup has scored the 10th-fewest runs this year, so it has been the pitching holding the team together.

One of the biggest problems with the team is they are 9-19 in one run games this year. Their pitchers have been able to keep the Braves in games all season, but the hitters are failing to back them up. Along with that, Atlanta has really struggled on the road this year. They are just 11-23 in away games.

With the losing record, there have been some trade ideas floating around. However, Atlanta needs to refrain from making any big decisions regarding their team for the time being. There is one player specifically that the Braves should hold on to for the season.

The Braves should not trade Chris Sale

With the Braves well under .500, and 13.5 games back in the National League East division, there is a chance they become sellers at the trade deadline. Now, there is more of a chance Atlanta tries to right the ship rather than selling off, though.

Still, with their losing record, there is going to be plenty of interest in Chris Sale and some of the other pitchers on the staff. But, the Braves should not be looking to trade their ace.

Sale is the reigning National League Cy Young, and he is having just as good of a season in 2025. On the year, the left-hander has 2.79 ERA through 14 starts, and 80.2 innings pitched. With that, the Florida Gulf Coast product has 107 strikeouts to just 25 walks, and opponents are batting .241 off him.

The reason Sale is enticing is he is a free agent after next season. Per Spotrac, Sale is owed $22M this year, and his club option for 2026 is worth $18M. The club control is something teams would want, and the money is not terrible for the quality arm.