The Atlanta Braves need to trade for an outfielder with a bat. They needed to do this even before Nate McLouth hit the disabled list. You know this, I know this because everyone tells me this and Frank Wren openly acknowledges this.

It looked for a while like Michael Bourn would join Hunter Pence and Carlos Beltran in being priced just a bit too high for Atlanta to make a move. But Ken Rosenthal reported the Braves are "getting more involved" in trying to land Bourn.

Since the Chicago White Sox are reportedly going to hang onto Carlos Quentin, who did draw Atlanta's interest, this leaves us with Bourn, Coco Crisp, Marlon Byrd, Ryan Ludwick, Josh Willingham, Denard Span and B.J. Upton as primary trade targets. 

Span's services would reportedly cost "big-league ready players." 

Buster Olney says talks for Crisp may have picked back up after the Pence deal, while David O'Brien reports the Braves "like Coco Crisp as rental-player possibility."

Keep an eye on Upton in addition to Bourn, who's reportedly being shopped for something more down-to-earth and in touch with reality than what the Astros were asking during Pence talks.

Update: Seconds later ...

For more Atlanta Braves trade rumors as the deadline nears, stay tuned to this StoryStream and head to Talking Chop.