As the Atlanta Braves look for some type of lifeline, they could be more inclined to take a big swing at the trade deadline. According to MLB insider Bob Nightengale, they're viewed as the favorites to land Detroit Tigers ace Tarik Skubal at the deadline. He pointed to words from unnamed rival executives as an indication of it being the case. However, don't expect the move to be imminent. It's far from the case. Nightengale indicated that this "will go down to the final days, if not hours, before the deadline."This year's trade deadline is Aug. 3 at 6 p.m. It's going to be a wait. Along with Skubal, Nightengale predicted that Red Sox pitcher Sonny Gray. However, this was based on speculation with no source attached to it. He added that he thinks the Red Sox would pick up $10 million of his $30 million mutual option. Acquiring both sounds a little too good to be true. For now, the focus goes to the back-to-back Cy Young Award winner in the American League. There is something more concrete here to take into consideration. Starting pitching is this team's biggest need. Chris Sale has remained his usual self. However, beyond him, there have been injuries and recent inconsistencies. Coming off his return from the injured early last month, Skubal has had to shake some rust off. But overall, he's still pitching like a must-have arm. On Tuesday night, he got payback against the Yankees, going six innings of two-run ball, one earned, while striking out nine. Apart from his first start back, he's pitched at least 5 2/3 innings and has completed six in back-to-back starts. The fact that he missed time would be the only reason to be hesitant, given the recent issues the Braves have. However, it would be hard to imagine this stops them from going after him. He's one of the best pitchers in baseball. If they can't get Skubal, it's because they get outbid.Gray would certainly make for a solid fallback plan. He's been stellar this season and he comes with some control. Even if the Red Sox each some salary, it'll be decent chunk of change to take on. But if he provides what he's supposed to, it would be worth it. The veteran right-hander has given Boston 84 innings this season across 13 starts. There around nearly 40 pitchers ahead of him for total innings, but it's one of the best among arms who will likely be available. If not either of these two, the Braves are not without their options. Robbie Ray is slowly starting to stand out as an option that could be a rental. Michael Wacha or Seth Lugo on the Kansas City Royals would provide quality innings.However, these options wouldn't provide the same playoff confidence as Skubal or Gray likely would. That being said, they're all the point where they have to make sure they reach October, let alone worry about what happens during it. We've haven't even began to address other needs for the staff, but that's for another time. The Braves likely need to additions to the rotation. That doesn't mean they'll get two. It's just a reflection of where this rotation is at. If they land the top arm on the trade block, anything else would be icing on the cake anyway. Sign up for our Free Atlanta Braves Newsletter and follow us on Facebook for the latest newsAdd us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow