Braves Still Looking To Make A Big Trade

Where are we heading? Braves fan wait with bated breathe for the blockbuster move we know John Hart wants to make. If there is one thing this Braves fan has learned about the about Mr. Hart and the entirety of the Braves organization over the last few years, its that they hold their cards close to their chests. Sometimes the best indicator of the future is the past.

Lets look at the moves made over the last couple of years.

The addition of the Upton brothers in 2013 came as a bit of a surprise, and it has been an up and down deal. Without a doubt Justin Upton has been a great addition to the Braves, but B.J. Upton has been a disappointment to say the least. No wonder Hart has been diligently looking to unload him this offseason. Chris Johnson was a pleasant surprise at third base in 2013, although he did take a step back in 2014, going from a stellar .321/.358/.457 2013 season to a subpar .263/.292/.361 line in 2014. Rumors swirl that he could be on the way out, but I hope that he gets a chance to stay and prove that he can get back to his career .283/.319/.419 line.

The Braves have also not been shy to let go of Braves fan favorites. Brian McCann, Jeff Francoeur, Tim Hudson, good ol’ southern boys one and all, have seen their times in Atlanta come and go. This years trade of Jason Heyward has proven that Hart will keep up that tradition. As an organization the Braves have proved their willingness to sign young talent to long-term, yet manageable deals, such as last years signing of Andrelton Simmons, Freddie Freeman, and Julio Tehran, but have been reserved to sign aging talent to long term deals. The exception to that rule being Dan Uggla (swing and a miss… and a miss… and a miss).

Taking this blueprint and applying it to the Braves future moves, some things should stand out. NO ONE IS SAFE!!!

Evan Gattis (aka El Oso Blanco), a definite fan favorite has been mentioned as being a big target on the trade block. The only was I see us trading away a big power bat still under team control for years to come is to get a proven quality starter to add to our pitching staff. Currently our rotation is rife with question marks with many of our signings coming back from Tommy John surgery. Adding a solid number three starter to the rotation would be the only way I see the Braves parting with blue chip talent like The White Bear.

With all that in mind, and with a look at the recent goings on in baseball over the last few days, lets discuss some potential landing spots and packages for the Upton Brothers, C.J. and El Oso Blanco.

1. The Orioles

The Orioles are desperately looking for outfield help. After the Braves signed sturdy outfielder Nick Markakis out from under thier nose earlier in the off-season, Baltimore is looking for a replacement to shore up their hitting and provide some solid defense. I think they are a good match for the Braves as trading partners. The Braves have proven their willingness to gamble on pitchers coming back from Tommy John Surgery (take a look at the linked article above, great piece by Alan Carpenter) and the Orioles top prospect Dylan Bundy is an interesting prospect. Coming off of a 2013 surgery, he could be a top flight starter for us in the years ahead. If we could get a Stephen Tarpley or Tyler Wilson as well, we would look pretty smart adding depth to our minor league system. Another possibility is the Braves get Ubaldo Jimenez along with one previously mentioned player for a package that could include both of the Uptons. I foresee the Braves having to eat alot if not most of B.J.’s remaining contract, but that would be true for any team we could get to take him.

2. Mariners

Now there are some very interesting options with the Mariners. Seattle has made no bones about wanting to add outfield power and J Up has been linked to them in several rumors. The Mariners also just signed Kyle Seager to a long term $100 million dollar contract this offseason with the super talented D.J. Peterson in AA ball waiting for his shot. A three team swap makes sense here, with the Braves sending Chris Johnson to a team in need of third base help (The Giants come to mind here, but also the Cubs, and even the Yanks with A-Rod potentially moving to permanent DH) and moving Justin Upton as well. Peterson has shown considerable pop to his bat posting 13 homers in 55 games after his signing, but his defense is a question mark. The Braves could potentially grab some farm talent to add to the rotation and bullpen as well. I’m targeting Edwin Diaz from the Mariners or Clayton Blackburn from the Giants.

3.  Rangers

If the Big Gat is gone we will miss the energy and occasional cracked smile around the clubhouse. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

The Rangers are an interesting landing spot for J Up, but there are some potential hangups. The Rangers have the seventh highest team salary in baseball but finished with the worst record in the American League. They are looking to add at least one outfield bat, so we could potentially send both Upton’s to them for a quality starter, perhaps even one with some experience in the big leagues. They are solid at third base so if C.J. went in a trade here it would have to be a multi-team deal. I potentially see both Gattis and J Up going in a blockbuster trade to the Rangers in exchange for possibly Colby Lewis, or Tanner Scheppers along with three or four minor league prospects.I’ve got my eye on Luke Jackson, Alex Gonzalez, and Ryan Rua. Both Jackson and Gonzalez are starters with high upside, and Ryan Rua a third baseman with great power potential.