As the Atlanta Braves enter the summer with the trade deadline approaching, who would be the perfect fit for them in a trade?
Despite some major obstacles, it has been a pretty good start to the season for the Atlanta Braves this year. Not too many teams could be well over .500 after losing their best position player and their best pitcher for the season, but it goes to show the talent and the depth that the Braves have.
Even though the Braves are well over .500, they still look up to the Philadelphia Phillies in the standings. While there is still a lot of baseball to be played, the Phillies look like a true contender this season once again.
Recently, Jeff Passan of ESPN spoke about who would be the perfect trade target for the Atlanta Braves. Here’s what he had to say.
Weakness: Outfield
Best match: Lane Thomas
Ronald Acuna Jr.’s season-ending ACL tear left the Braves facing the same quandary they did in 2021: How do you replace the superstar outfielder? The answer then was: You don’t. President of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos went with the group approach that year, dealing for Jorge Soler, Eddie Rosario, Joc Pederson, and Adam Duvall, and wound up winning a World Series. Thomas, the 28-year-old right fielder for Washington, is this season’s all-in-one solution. As painful as it would be for Washington to send Thomas to a team it trails in its division by only six games, he is a free agent after next season. Atlanta could either keep him as an Acuna insurance policy or move him again in the winter.
With the starting rotation performing very well without Spencer Strider, the offense needs a boost for the Atlanta Braves. The loss of Acuna is a big one, as he is one of the best hitters in baseball and an MVP candidate when he’s on the field.
The addition of Thomas would provide the Atlanta Braves with an outfield that has some pop and can steal bases like Acuna did. While Thomas isn’t the same caliber of player as Acuna, he would be a nice upgrade.
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