​Braves predicted to land $32M two-time Cy Young winner in monster trade to pair with Chris Sale originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.The Atlanta Braves are set to begin the second half of the season Friday night after entering the All-Star break with a 55-40 record. While Atlanta has endured some recent struggles, the club remains firmly in the postseason race.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementWith the trade deadline just a couple of weeks away, the Braves are widely expected to be active on the market. General manager Alex Anthopoulos has already hinted that Atlanta plans to be aggressive.“I fully expect and hope that we will be engaged in trades come July. I’m not trying to overly excite anybody or promise anything. But if we’re playing the way we are right now, we’re going to be in there,” Anthopoulos said.With an aggressive approach seemingly on the table, the biggest question is which players the Braves will target. CBS Sports’ Mike Axisa believes Atlanta could emerge as the favorite to land Detroit Tigers ace Tarik Skubal.“This bold prediction says that, despite their recent hot streak, the Tigers will indeed trade Skubal at the deadline. It won’t be an easy choice for the front office and the fan base will be upset, but it is likely to be the ruthlessly correct baseball decision. Where will Skubal wind up? My guess is with the Braves, though I hardly think that’s a lock. The bidding war will be intense,” Axisa wrote.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAtlanta being projected as a potential landing spot for Skubal is especially intriguing because the Braves were not initially viewed as serious contenders for the star left-hander.“Now that it’s becoming inevitable that the free-falling Detroit Tigers may have no choice but to trade two-time Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal at the deadline, rival executives believe the bidding will come down to four finalists that not only can afford the remainder of his $32 million contract, but will also be willing to give up prized prospects: The Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Yankees, Toronto Blue Jays and San Diego Padres,” USA Today’s Bob Nightengale wrote.If the Braves were to acquire Skubal, it would dramatically change the outlook of their season. Adding a two-time Cy Young winner to the front of the rotation would elevate Atlanta from a playoff contender to a legitimate threat to challenge the Dodgers for the National League crown.Skubal would command a significant trade package, so any deal would ultimately depend on how much Atlanta is willing to part with. Still, acquiring the two-time Cy Young Award winner would be a franchise-altering move and one of the biggest trades of the season.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementMore MLB news: