Blue Jays Have Talked with Braves, Scouted Atlanta Affiliates in Recent Days, Per Report

In the ever expanding search for upgrades, it seems the Braves are now making the rounds in discussions to see if a trade is possible over the next few days. In one of the more specific reports to date, Jon Morosi reports the Braves have had discussions with the Blue Jays recently. Discussions seem to have even advanced to the point where the Blue Jays have scouted Atlanta right-hander Tristan Beck, the Braves fourth round pick in 2018.

There is plenty of logic that connects the Blue Jays and Braves. For one, the Blues Jays have attractive pieces at the positions the Braves are looking to upgrade. Marcus Stroman, Ken Giles, and others jump off the page as potential targets for the Braves. Stroman especially makes sense due his history with Alex Anthopoulos in Toronto.

However, Morosi further reports Stroman does not appear to be the focus. It seems that recent comments from Anthopoulous about preferring relievers to starters, along with the long-term injury to Nick Markakis, have made other Toronto players a priority. As Morosi mentions above, along with Giles, Daniel Hudson and Eric Sogard would improve the Braves roster as well.

Sogard is currently having the best offensive season of his career, setting career highs in SLG%, OPS, and wRC+. For perspective, nearly 30% of the 6.8 bWAR Sogard has been worth in his career has come this season. Along with his new found offensive value, Sogard also offers versatility as a super utility option. He would give the Braves another option to move all over the diamond based on different situations. This is especially true against southpaws, whom Sogard has produced a .903 OPS against this season.

Like Sogard, Daniel Hudson has had his best career to date as a reliever. He has produced a 2.80 ERA and a 1.1 bWAR this season out of the bullpen for the Blue Jays. However, his ERA is supported by a 4.31 FIP and 5.35 xFIP. It certainly seems luck has played a role in Hudson’s success this year, though he could provide durability and experience to the Atlanta pen.

Another option for Atlanta could be David Phelps, who has produced well since coming back from injury in June. However, at the end of the day, if the focus is not Stroman, Giles would be the the true prize. As TC’s own Anthony Taurig explained, due to his dominance and extra control beyond this year, he seems to be one of the more sensible targets for the Braves on the trade market. The Braves certainly are not the only team targeting Giles, and he likely will come with a price tag that costs one of Atlanta’s top prospects.

These reports should become more frequent over the next hours and days, and as we continue to see, Alex Anthopoulos and his staff are casting a wide net to possibly improve the Braves in multiple areas. Talking Chop will continue to have coverage for any new information as it is discovered.