Buy or Sell: Atlanta Braves

July 31 is rapidly approaching. Buy or Sell lets each team know where they stand.

The Braves are stuck in one of the most interesting trade deadline conundrums I think I have seen in awhile. They have the talent to win this year, yet have gotten not just unlucky but also injured. The ability to win now is enhanced by a division that does not appear as strong as it did at the beginning of the season, what with the Braves only seven games back despite a 44-50 record.

We also don't know how new GM Frank Wren thinks, although if his trade deadline maneuvering is as aggressive as his early and midseason moves, I don't expect to see a whole lot. Wren has, for the most part, seemed content to let the roster play out as it stands, rather than attempt to make an early play to help out the pitching rotation.

What remains is a team that could be stacked on offense with Brian McCann, Mark Teixeira and Chipper Jones. But the reality is that a rotation of Tim Hudson, Jair Jurrjens, Jo-Jo Reyes and Jorge Campillo is not going to be effective enough to make a really deep run.

For that reason, I think the Braves are/should/need to become sellers. I hate giving up on a season at the All-Star break, but as noted by the link to SOSG above, the Braves had the potential to be an elite team this year and just haven't caught any breaks.

Tex is as good as gone -- at least to free agency -- this year and the Braves won't pursue him. But there are plenty of teams that would be willing to offer up prospects (hell, Frank McCourt wants to get rid of Matt Kemp and Clayton Kershaw, it seems) for an MVP candidate first baseman.

I'm not calling for a full on firesale, but if the Braves wanted to play the role of buyer, they needed to do so sooner and shore up their rotation before falling this far behind the Phillies. A run of wins against Washington and Philly can still make a big difference and give them an opening to make a move. But waiting too long to decide, while somewhat generous for public relations purposes, doesn't help the organization in the long run.