Report: Braves looking to improve without sacrificing system

The Atlanta Braves are looking to make several improvements to their roster ahead of MLB's July 31 trade deadline. General manager Alex Anthopoulos reportedly wants to add a starter, reliever, and hitter to the team.

The hitch is that there aren't a lot of controllable pieces on the market, and Anthopolous is reluctant to trade from Atlanta's deep prospect pool for rental players, sources tell The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal.

Tied for first with the Philadelphia Phillies at 51-40 in a surprisingly competitive NL East, the Braves are in a position to make a postseason push. Just don't expect Anthopoulos to pull off the same kind of deal he did when heading up the Toronto Blue Jays in 2015 when he moved a bushel of prospects to land shortstop Troy Tulowitzki and lefty David Price.

Tulowitzki is technically still around, though he hasn't played in 2018 due to injuries, and Price signed a seven-year contract with the Boston Red Sox after half a season in Toronto.

The Braves appear poised to make more minor moves to bolster the roster instead of manufacturing a high-profile splash. However, the Braves were also reportedly one of seven teams to make an aggressive pitch for Baltimore Orioles shortstop Manny Machado, and there isn't a more illustrious catch on the current market.