The Braves, for the second straight season, are going to be among the more intriguing and exciting teams at the trade deadline….even if they don’t do a thing. With the new wild card format in place, more teams than ever are theoretically in contention for playoff spots and with that change has come a trade market (in-season anyways) that very much favor sellers.
The lack of true sellers is only part of the issue...the other issue in play is that of the teams that are true sellers, not all of them have exactly desirable assets. This is hardly surprising, since a team that would be sellers would also likely be bad. However, despite the fact that they are currently playing out a season that will be among the worst in baseball, the Braves have among the more marketable and potentially available players on the trade market.
Julio Teheran, Arodys Vizcaino, Hector Olivera, Nick Markakis, Eric O’Flaherty, Jeff Francoeur, Chris Withrow, and Erick Aybar have all received some level of interest on the trade market or at the very least have been shopped around (spoiler alert: there hasn’t been a wait list for Olivera’s services).
Looking forward to the trade deadline, lets take a look at the teams the Braves could be linked to and potentially make deals with. Are these deals likely? No….basically every time recently that Coppy or any Braves’ official has been asked about Teheran. However, given that at least a few GMs are saying that the Braves may be more willing than they appear to be to move Teheran, lets at least look under the hood at bit.
Red Sox
Key Braves Players: Julio Teheran, Arodys Vizcaino
Key Red Sox Players: Blake Swihart, Yoan Moncada, Andrew Benintendi, Rafael Devers, many others
The Braves hooking up with the Red Sox on a deal became far less likely when the Red Sox acquired Drew Pomeranz from the Padres for Anderson Espinoza. Up until that point, the Red Sox were the team that most needed help for the rotation and they paid a pretty heavy price for Pomeranz given his track record and production up until this point. This also means that Espinoza is one less prospect they have to make a deal for Teheran and Viz. Vizzy’s injury certainly didn’t help any trade prospects, but the Red Sox getting their man already is the bigger issue, although there is plenty of time before the deadline for them to change their minds and they have a king’s ransom of young bats on the MLB teams as well as in their farm system.
Rangers
Key Braves Players: Julio Teheran, Arodys Vizcaino
Key Rangers Players: Joey Gallo, Lewis Brinson, Jurickson Profar
You will notice that most of these potential matches will involve Julio and that’s because, despite the Braves’ front office saying that Teheran is not going anywhere, the starting pitching trade market is a wasteland of underwhelming choices and pipe dreams and Julio may be the most likely pipe dream to get moved so he will be asked about a lot. The Rangers, who have had luke warm interest in the past, have checked in on Teheran and Viz but seem to be waiting the market out for now.
The Rangers need rotation help badly but are also connected to basically every available (or pseudo-available) starter on the market. They have the bats the Braves want though, including Jurickson Profar or Joey Gallo. Gallo is a big time power bat who the Braves could slot at third or, more likely, in left field and Profar was a big time prospect who can play all over the infield and is still quite young at 23.
Astros
Key Braves Players: Julio Teheran
Key Astros Players: Alex Bregman, George Springer, AJ Reed
Another team with a potential need in the rotation and with big young bats potentially to spare, the Astros have been among the teams least linked to Teheran (once you get rid of all the hopeful conjecture and pure speculation that is). That said, the signing of Yulieski Gurriel is a curious one given the presence of Bregman pushing to get promoted and their also rumored interested in Yulieski’s brother, Lourdes, who is younger and could be a real stud. There are only so many places you can play these guys so any number of them could become available to fill a need. Teheran may not be the best fit for that ballpark though, but also has the best track record among available starters and fits Luhnow’s profile of a guy who could feasibly pitch in a postseason rotation. That said, the Astros are in a similar place revenue-wise as the Braves (as well as the Pirates who could been seen as an ideal trade partner as well) and it seems unlikely they would part with top prospects unless they were enamored with Teheran.
Brewers
Key Braves Players: Julio Teheran, prospects
Key Brewers Players: Jonathan Lucroy, Orlando Arcia, Corey Ray, Brett Phillips, Ryan Braun
A trade between these clubs could take any number of directions. The guy the Braves (and basically every other team) covet is Jonathan Lucroy and the Brewers are wanting as much talent as they can get their hands on while freeing up money for the future. The Brewers have already been connected to starters on the trade market, but what sorts of assets they are looking to give up will matter quite a bit here. Maybe they want to unload Braun’s contract, maybe they are will to deal from their prospect depth, or maybe a weird deal that involves multiple teams or pieces ends up with Atlanta getting Lucroy and the Braves dealing from THEIR prospect depth. It is easy to forget that the Braves could be potential buyers this trade deadline if they get the kind of player they want….it could be here.
Dodgers
Key Braves Players: Julio Teheran, Arodys Vizcaino
Key Dodgers Players: Yasiel Puig, Will Smith, prospects
Another team that has any number of trade scenarios also happens to be a team the Braves have dealt with before, most notably the Hector Olivera-Alex Wood trade that hasn’t really worked out super great for either team (although the Braves appear to have gotten the worst of it). The Dodgers have a ton of money and have used it to assemble an impressive amount of talent both in the majors as well as in the minor leagues (they were among the more active teams in the previous IFA signing period).
With the injuries that have hit their rotation, in particular the setbacks that Kershaw has had in trying to get back from a back injury, the Dodgers could be in the market for a player like Teheran. Yasiel Puig would be the most exciting name, but the Dodgers don’t have the glut of outfielders they used to and despite having a down year, Puig will still have a ton of value. The Braves would obviously love a player like Urias but that is not gonna happen, with prospects like Will Smith or Cody Bellinger being more likely.
Orioles
Key Braves Players: Julio Teheran, Nick Markakis, Eric O’Flaherty
Key Orioles Players: Hyun Soo Kim, Matt Wieters, prospects
The Orioles have been connected to just about every starter on the market as well and have already expressed an interest in acquiring O’Flaherty. We also heard last offseason that the Orioles could be interested in a reunion with Nick Markakis as well so he could be a possibility. The toughest part for the Orioles is that their farm system is not good, with their best prospect, Hunter Harvey, having just suffered an elbow injury which torpedoes his value..at least in the very short term. The Braves would love to acquire a player like Hyun Soo Kim but whether or not the O’s would do so remains unclear.
Mets
Key Braves Players: Eric O’Flaherty, Chris Withrow
Key Mets Players: Prospects
The Mets are listed here mosty because they seem to love to trade for veterans on the last year of the contracts and give up on prospects pretty quickly it seems. The Braves have already acquired John Gant, Rob Whalen, and Akeel Morris from the Mets in the last 12 months (and grabbed up Dario Alvarez as well) and the Mets have already expressed interest in relief help, in particular Withrow. With their rotation (despite the injury concerns), its unlikely they will go for Teheran and the Braves would not want to trade Teheran to a division rival, but the framework for smaller trades is there. If the Braves can trade Kelly Johnson to the Mets TWICE...anything is possible