The Atlanta Braves didn’t have to do anything leading up to baseball’s trade deadline. They exited the All-Star Break with an 8.5 game lead in the National League East. They could have rested on their laurels and banked nothing would get in the way of a sixth straight division title.
Heck, they’ve played right at .500 ball since the break, and yet the lead in the division has even grown a couple of games.
And while some may be disappointed there was not a bigger headline grabber acquired before Tuesday’s trade deadline, general manager Alex Anthopoulos did not sit around and bank on everything going right for the rest of the season.