MLB Insider Shuts Down Rumors Linking Braves With Marcus Stroman at the Trade Deadline

With the MLB All-Star break wrapping itself up, all eyes and ears will be focused on the trade deadline on July 31. One of the main targets will inevitably Toronto Blue Jays ace Marcus Stroman, himself an All-Star this season. However, you can rule out one contending team in the pursuit for starting rotation depth for a hopeful postseason run.

MLB insider Jon Heyman has taken it upon himself to shoot down rumors of the Atlanta Braves talking with the Blue Jays about acquiring Stroman, with one source telling him such buzz is a "total fabrication."

As Heyman mentions in his tweet, rumors of a link between Stroman and the Braves spread across social media without any legitimate confirmation.

Perhaps this was due to the obvious connection between the Blue Jays and Braves general manager Alex Anthopoulos, who drafted Stroman back in 2014. While there's no talk between both parties now, of course, that doesn't mean it won't happen down the road.

With the Braves surging at the top of the NL East, they (like many other teams) will want to bolster their starting rotation with one more piece in order to mount the best possible World Series run. Luckily for Atlanta, they boast one of the top farm systems in the game, so they can afford to acquire a premier starting pitcher without giving up all their best assets.

Despite a 5-9 record this season, Stroman boasts an impressive 3.18 ERA, which will entice more than a few teams to make a play to pry him away from the rebuilding Blue Jays, who are far out of contention in the fearsome AL East.

Will that team be Atlanta? As of now, no. But the deadline tends to bring a few surprises every year.