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Time for the Braves to go all in?

By James Kunkle

PHOENIX, AZ - SEPTEMBER 08: Ronald Acuna Jr. #13 of the Atlanta Braves celebrates with teammates after defeating the Arizona Diamondbacks in the tenth inning of the MLB game at Chase Field on September 8, 2018 in Phoenix, Arizona. The Atlanta Braves won 5-4. (Photo by Jennifer Stewart/Getty Images)
PHOENIX, AZ - SEPTEMBER 08: Ronald Acuna Jr. #13 of the Atlanta Braves celebrates with teammates after defeating the Arizona Diamondbacks in the tenth inning of the MLB game at Chase Field on September 8, 2018 in Phoenix, Arizona. The Atlanta Braves won 5-4. (Photo by Jennifer Stewart/Getty Images) /
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Atlanta Braves
ATLANTA, GA. – MAY 19: Dansby Swansson #7, Ozzie Albbies #1, Ronald Accuna, Jr. #13, Johan Cammargo #17, and Ender Incciarte #11 of the Atlanta Braves celebra after the game against the Miami Marlins at SunTrust Field on May 19, 2018 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Scott Cunningham/Getty Images) /

Prospects are often looked at like money. How many do you have and how much are you willing to spend. Keeping with the money scenario, the Atlanta Braves have had a hefty amount in the bank lately, but one has to wonder, is this the winter the Braves decide to buy a lot more and trade in that currency?

The Atlanta Braves still have a highly touted farm system that is ranked in the top 3 on almost every publication still after “graduating” players such as Ronald Acuna, Ozzie Albies, and Sean Newcomb in the past few seasons. The Braves also have the luxury of not having many holes to fill on the team and only have a few spots that could be considered a weakness.

Just a quick glance at the team’s top prospects and you will see names like Soroka, Kyle Wright, Touki Touissant, Ian Anderson, Austin Riley, and Cristian Pache. All these players would be coveted around the league and almost all will assuredly come up in any trade talks the Braves have this winter. As mentioned above though, is it time for the Braves to actually trade some of these names for names like Realmuto, Bumgarner, Arenado, Paxton, and all the other bigger names that will reportedly be on the block this hot stove season?

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Just for the sake of it, let’s say every one of those names is moved this winter. The Braves farm system would still consist of players such as Luiz Gohara, Drew Waters, Bryse Wilson, Kolby Allard, Joey Wentz, Kyle Muller, William Contreras, and Greyson Jenista among others. It obviously wouldn’t be the farm system it is now, but it wouldn’t be at the bottom either.

If this was something the Braves entertained the idea of, it wouldn’t be a 1- or even a 2-year window either. The biggest free agent the Braves have before the end of the 2021 season is arguably Kevin Gausman. All the big-time players such as Freeman, Acuna, Albies, Folty, Inciarte, Swanson, and Minter are controlled at least through the 2021 season, therefore the Braves would have at least 3 years to be maybe the most talented team in the NL, or even the whole MLB. This would also give the team 3 years to rebuild the farm system back up into the top 5. However, of course that could be a little more difficult due to…

The challenging part

Yes, the international ban brought on by the Coppy/Hart scandal would make it a little more difficult to build the farm system back up quickly. But with good drafting, good signings in free agency, and good trades in the trade market, the Braves could build the system back to where it is now in 3 or 4 years.

Next. What a Teheran trade may look like. dark

So you tell me, is this something the Braves should entertain, or is this something the Braves should stay clear of and just let the kids we have now grow up and hopefully become part of the next Atlanta Braves dynasty?

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