Atlanta Braves Trade Rumors: Potential Deals for Braves in July

The Atlanta Braves aren't where they want to be right now in the standings, currently sitting at fourth in the NL East. If this continues, expect the Braves to be active in the trade market, especially considering the potential tradebait and targets they are rumored to have.

Here are a few potential players the Braves could deal or acquire.

Jair Jurrjens

Jair Jurrjens was once an All-Star caliber pitcher, but after a rough start to the 2012 season, he has been sent down to the minor leagues to build himself up.

The Braves have attempted to deal Jurrjens in the past, but nothing ever materialized. Still, the Braves are clearly interested in dealing the declining Jurrgens and his large salary.

Danny Knobler of CBS Sports is high on Jurrjens, tweeting that teams should be looking into him after his impressive performance at the AAA level.

The Reds were a team that was involved in trade discussions for Jurrjens over the winter, and they could be involved in talks in the future. Some of the players discussed were Chris Heisey and Juan Francisco, so Heisey could still be in play, though the Braves already acquired Francisco.

Ultimately, though, the Braves seem likely to hold on to Jurrjens for the foreseeable future. They are struggling with pitching, and any improvement from Jurrjens would tremendously help the team.

Erik Bedard

Yahoo! Sports lists Erik Bedard as one of the top potential trade targets for the Braves, and if the Braves are really interested, it could be a great fit.

The Braves have struggled with a young pitching corps this season, and Bedard would bring experience and a solid southpaw presence to the rotation.

Bedard is having one of his better seasons, and he will be motivated to pitch extra well in a contract year.

All in all, going after Bedard could pay big dividends for the Braves.

Michael Bourn

Michael Bourn is already being mentioned as a possible free-agent signing for the Washington Nationals, and the season isn't even half-way done.

While Bourn has expressed interest in the Nationals, the Braves would likely prefer to keep him. Bourn is certainly the Braves' best player with an expiring contract so they should go after him hard.

Still, if Bourn has his heart set on playing elsewhere in 2013, the Braves could find value in trading him. Bourn has grown into a solid contact hitter, and his bat could help a team significantly.

Another bonus in trading him would be the ability to choose where he goes, as opposed to letting Bourn sign with a division rival at the end of the season.

There is no guarantee that Bourn would sign long-term with whatever team the Braves would conceivably trade him to, but he might be more likely to sign elsewhere than in Atlanta.

Ultimately, the Braves will only trade Bourn if they are convinced that he will not be with the team in 2013. If they can get some value for him now, they should do so.