After last night's 3-1 Loss to the Miami Marlins in 10 innings, the Atlanta Braves are currently 1 game behind the Washington Nationals for the NL East lead, and are tied with the St. Louis Cardinals for the 2nd NL Wild Card spot with a 54-45 record. Here is this writer's opinion of what they could do to make improvements to the team.

First off, acquire a left-handed relief pitcher. The Braves have used 5 seperate left-handed relief pitchers this season, Alex Wood, Luis Avilan, Chasen Shreve, Ryan Buchter and Ian Thomas, with Shreve being the only one on the active roster after he was promoted from AA Mississippi and Luis Avilan was demoted to AAA Gwinnett. Shreve has only made one appearance, 2/3 inning - the Phillies on July 19th, allowing 0 runs and striking out one but just turned 24-years-old and has never pitched higher than Double-A after being drafted in the 11th round of the 2010 MLB Amatuer Draft out of College of Southern Nevada. Atlanta would surely like to add another lefty and a few names that could be on the trade market and have come up in trade rumors are Red Sox LHP Andrew Miller, Cubs LHPs James Russell and Wesley Wright and here is some info on each.

The Braves actually came very close to acquiring Cubs LHP James Russell last trade deadline, but talks between the teams fell apart. Russell, 28, would be owed likely less than $1 million this year and is under contract for next season and won't be a costless agent until 2016. Also, now in his 5th MLB season (all with the Cubs) Russell owns a career 3.81 ERA in 267 IP in 311 career games, 306 as a reliever. He also holds a career 10-15 while locking up 3 career saves, one of which has come in 2014. However, opposing left-handed hitters have a .286/.368/.529 line against him while he's allowed 6 earned runs to them, 3 of which have come from home runs whole striking out 11 and walking 6 as well in 13 I.P. Throughout his career, lefties have a .233/.276/.474 line against him while striking out 111 times and walking 24 times in 124 I.P.

Wesley Wright, 29, is in his 7th MLB season and is from Braves country, born in Montgomery, Alabama and being drafted by the Dodgers in the 7th round of the 2003 amateur draft out of Goshen HS in Goshen, AL. He was also dealt at the trade deadline last year also, being traded from the Houston Astros to the Tampa Bay Rays in exchange for cash considerations. While he has only pitched 26 2/3 innings this season but owns a 2.36 ERA while walking only 7 and striking out 22 in 34 games. In addition to all that, he has not allowed a single run since May 23rd, nearly 2 months and has a .262/.295/.268 line against lefties in 10 I.P. He is owed less than $1 million throughout the rest of this season and is a costless agent after this season. 

Andrew Miller has the eye of several teams looking for bullpen help down the stretch this season. However, recent reports indicate the Red Sox may keep Miller instead after winning 5 straight and 8 out of their last 10, 7 games off the AL East lead and 5 1/2 games behind the Seattle Mariners who hold 2nd AL Wild Card. As some may not remember, Miller was the 6th overall pick in the 2006 Amatuer Draft by the Tigers after being drafted by the then Devil Rays in the 3rd round of the 2003 Amatuer Draft and deciding to attending UNC and not sign. He was also a key piece in the trade that sent Miguel Cabrera and Dontrelle Willis to Detroit for Miller, Cameron Maybin, Burke Badenhop and 3 others. He owns a career 5.07 E.R.A, far worse of the 3 relievers, but owns a 3.82 ERA in 174 I.P, 152 games since signing with the Red Sox in December of 2010. If Boston decides to trade him, the lefty owns a 2.13 E.R.A in 45 games while walking only 9 and striking out 61 in 38 I.P. Miller is owed roughly $1 million throughout the rest of this season and is arguably the best LHRP available and arguably best available reliever overall. 

The Braves could definitely use another lefty coming out of the 'pen and these are arguably the best 3 lefties that could be traded in the coming week. If Atlanta wants to go anywhere in the postseason, or make it there period, yours truly believes that they'd be wise to acquire one.