There’s been plenty of trade talk surrounding the Atlanta Braves this season, and today the rumors have been flying all over the place. Julio Teheran will continue to be the biggest name that we hear about in trade rumors, and there was a fresh rumor today that Bud Norris is drawing interest on the trade market — particularly from the Marlins.
However, according to Jon Heyman’s latest column for Today’s Knuckleball, the player who is currently drawing the most “intense interest” from teams right now is Atlanta’s closer — Arodys Vizcaino. Heyman even went as far as to say that he’s currently drawing the most interest of any player on the Braves right now.
It makes plenty of sense. Vizcaino is currently having another solid season on the mound (2.08 ERA, 2.87 xFIP over 31 appearances), and teams across baseball have proven that they’re willing to pay a pretty penny for a high-leverage reliever nowadays. Plus, with teams such as the Cubs and Giants apparently looking for a reliever (according to the end of this article from our friends over at MLB Daily Dish), the Braves would definitely be wise to listen to any offers they receive.
In addition to Vizcaino’s efforts on the mound, his contract is also extremely team-friendly, and that would only serve to increase the Braves’ asking price. That also would be a good reason to keep him around (in case a lovely miracle happens and the Braves end up being ahead of schedule with the rebuild and are good again while he’s still under contract), but it would also help increase the haul that the Braves would receive in a potential trade.
Simply put, the Braves are dealing from the catbird seat at the moment. They have plenty of options right now when it comes to not only Vizcaino, but their other big trade chips as well. Atlanta will more-than-likely be big players at the Trade Deadline, and Vizcaino could be playing a major role in their plans.