Atlanta Braves: What to do with Justin Upton?

Rumors are flying, and opinions are being shared, all throughout the baseball world about what the Atlanta Braves should do next. After trading Jason Heyward it appeared that John Hart would take the team into rebuilding mode. Then a Thursday meeting with top free agent starting pitcher Jon Lester and interest in Cuban free agent Yasmany Tomas put the brakes that line of thinking. Are they rebuilding or trying to win in 2015?

The reality is that even the Braves do not know in which direction they are leaning. Rumors suggest that Justin Upton and Evan Gattis are on the trading block currently, while Atlanta would trade B.J. Upton for a bucket of fresh baseballs and a warm hug. With only rumors to go on, I thought I’d throw out my opinions on the current predicament. Starting with slugging leftfielder Justin Upton.

More from Tomahawk Take

Since being acquired from the Arizona Diamondbacks Justin Upton has been fantastic for the Braves. Last season he posted a .270/.342/.491 line with a team leading 29 homers and 102 RBI. Without Upton the Braves lineup would have had even less punch than it had in last year’s offensively disappointing season.

That being said, I think Justin Upton’s time in Atlanta should come to an end. If the organization is going to rebuild then they need to rebuild all the way. None of this half in half out stuff. It will be important to extract maximum value from players they do not expect to sign for the long haul. Even if they do not plan to rebuild, if they plan on competing next year they may be better off dealing Upton for multiple pieces that could help improve the team as a whole.

Ken Rosenthal recently tweeted that the Braves have had some type of conversation with the Texas Rangers regarding Upton. Because of that my brain decided to cook up a little scenario that might make sense for both sides.

#Rangers have spoken with #Braves about Justin Upton, as @Joelsherman1 said. Also have liked Upton in past. Pitching is more current focus.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) November 23, 2014

My Proposal

Rangers Receive: Justin Upton

Braves Receive: Leonys Martin, Lewis Brinson,

For one year of a power hitter of Justin Upton’s caliber this seems more than fair. Brinson is an outfield prospect that just completed his 2014 season in high A. In 89 games, between two levels, Brinson hit .288/.354/.458 with 50 RBI and 13 homers.

He is a “toolsy” player who is still very raw at the plate. He has tremendous upside, and started to tap into that towards the end of last season. There are some concerns about his strikeout rate, and ability to hit a breaking ball as Nathaniel Stoltz from FanGraphs laid out in this article before last season. He also makes it clear that Brinson’s tools are very impressive.

"As you can see, Brinson is a tall, stringy, high-waisted outfielder who still has plenty of room to fill out his frame. Currently, he’s an easy plus runner who plays a quality center field; it’s not out of the realm of possibility that he ends up putting on a lot of weight and power and slowing down some, though as we can see, he doesn’t necessarily need to bulk up to be a home run threat."

Even with the concerns, Brinson is a very talented prospect at a position where the Braves do not possess much depth. I’d be willing to bet on his talent, as long as John Hart does not plan to sign Upton long term.

Then there is Martin. He is a talented Cuban outfielder who has never really broken out with his bat. Last season he hit .274/.325/.364 in 355 at-bats. Those are not staggering numbers, but they are a significant upgrade from the current centerfield option. Martin is also a very good defensive player. Last season he had 15 defensive runs saved, according to FanGraphs. The upgrade Martin represents both with the bat and the glove would be a welcome change for Braves fans.

There you have it. One high risk high reward prospect, and a talented major league ready player to replace B.J. Upton in centerfield. In my mind that is a fair deal for one year of Justin Upton, Rangers fans may feel otherwise. This move allows Atlanta to play for the future by adding Brinson, while also grabbing a player who could help the team next season. Now this deal is unlikely to come to fruition because it was completely thought up by my brain, but never say never.

Home/Braves News