Braves, Rangers Trade Rumors: Teams Ready To Strike A Deal Before Deadline? Dodgers In The Mix?

The Atlanta Braves and Texas Rangers are reportedly in talks about a trade involving veteran third baseman Adrian Beltre, reliever Jake Diekman and closer Keone Kela as Tuesday's trade deadline looms.

Amid a tight race with the Philadelphia Phillies in the National League East, the Braves can make a serious run at the division title with a bolstered pitching staff that is 13th in earned-run average (3.88), and an offense that is 10th in runs (485) and a defense that is 9th in errors (51).

Beltre, 39, has seen his power numbers drop but is still batting .292 and with a respectable fielding percentage of .949.

But the interest in the 5-time Gold Glove winner may seem a bit puzzling. He is in the final year of a contract that pays him $18 million this season, which might suggest that the Rangers would be willing to pay a portion of his salary. However, that would likely mean the Braves adding more prospects for a deal.

The Braves also seem to be covered at the position with a strong season from switch-hitter Johan Camargo. The 24-year-old has hit 11 home runs and has a .349 on-base percentage.

Kela, who has an ERA of 3.28 and 23 saves in 24 opportunities, is among the valued players on the Rangers' roster. The 25-year-old right-hander has a WHIP of 1.09 this season and had a 0.91 WHIP in 2017.

Diekman is considered more of a rental, but he could be an important contributor for Atlanta. The veteran left-hander has consistently posted solid numbers, owning a career 3.58 ERA over seven seasons.

Atlanta can offer several quality prospects, as the club has stockpiled young talent in recent years. While Ronald Acuna might be considered untouchable, the Braves still have right-handers Mike Soroka and Kyle Wright, as well as lefties Luiz Gohara and Kolby Allard to offer Texas. Eight Braves prospects made the MLB Pipeline midseason Top 100 which included six pitchers.

The Rangers, who have struggled to be competitive in a division that includes the defending champion Houston Astros, have been sellers in July, sending pitcher Cole Hamels to the Chicago Cubs. There were also reports last week that Texas was interested in dealing slugger Joey Gallo, though the talks appear to have cooled.

Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Dodgers, who happen to be playing the Braves this weekend, could also be in contention to add Kela. Kela is a Los Angeles native and the Dodgers would consider dealing prospects from their loaded farm system to land an elite setup man for Kenley Jansen.

The Dodgers have several young pitchers to offer the Rangers, including Caleb Ferguson, Dennis Santana, Dustin May and Yadier Alvarez.