All Your Braves Trade Deadline Rumors In One Place!

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With the trade deadline nearing, the hot stove is churning and the Braves have established themselves in a prime position to sell ahead of the trade deadline. This is where you can find all your Braves trade rumors in one place ahead of the August 1st non-waiver trade deadline.

(8/1) Sherman: Rangers looking at Jim Johnson

The Braves just recently did a deal based on pitching, and while the Rangers are contenders, their pitching needs improvement. Jim Johnson has been hot lately, and the Rangers are desperate. He’s likely to be moved by 4.

(7/30) Law: Olivera, Kemp exchange close to being completed

Olivera has really struggled, and there is a high chance the team was just going to cut him anyways. If this is a straight up exchange of contracts, this is a good deal for the Braves. Kemp is a great player and would help the Braves’ offense tremendously.

(7/30) Togerson: Braves one of two teams in discussions with Padres for Matt Kemp

https://twitter.com/DerekNBCSD/status/759483284178866176

If the Padres pay a majority of Matt Kemp’s salary, this is a smart move for the Braves. Kemp has been a consistent player his whole career and would provide a huge boost for the lineup and fill a need. This could be worth a couple prospects if the Braves are hardly paying him.

(7/30) Olney: Braves have asked about Brian McCann

McCann is under contract through 2018 at $17 million per year with a team option for 2019 that vests if he gets 1000 plate appearances through 2017-18. The Braves would likely not take on the whole salary if they get in serious negotiations for him. The Yankees have Gary Sanchez, which makes McCann expendable. Giving up any real assets would be ill advised, but if the Braves can give up a couple mid-level guys to get the Yankees to eat half the money, I’m all for it. McCann will rekindle the interest of an unencouraged fanbase, and the Braves will desperately need to find power when filling the remaining holes in the lineup since most of the guys coming up are contact hitters. Power hitting catchers do not grow on trees.

(7/29) Cotillo: Braves close to moving Jim Johnson, Mets and Jays interested

This comes as no surprise. Johnson was a trade candidate the day he was signed, and he has been hot lately. The Braves have a ton of bullpen arms ready to come up, making him expendable. We’ll see what kind of return Coppy can get for him, but it seems inevitable that he will be dealt.

(7/27) Bowman: Braves trade Lucas Harrell and Dario Alvarez for prospect Travis Demeritte

The Braves first move around the trade deadline has been made. They sent right-handed pitcher Lucas Harrell and reliever Dario Alvarez to the Rangers for one of their top prospects. Demeritte has hits a total of 50 home runs over both levels of A ball. He is strikeout prone but he joins Austin Riley as one of the few power bats in the Braves farm system. Both Harrell and Alvarez were having good years for the Braves, but Atlanta picked them off the street for basically nothing prior to the season. Turning these two pitchers into a top 20 prospect from the Rangers is great move for the Braves.

(7/24) Rosenthal: Braves shopping Aybar, Francoeur, lefties “aggressively”

We heard the team has taken calls on Francoeur and the lefties, but that there was little interest in Aybar. It is unlikely that changes.

(7/24) Bowman: Sale trade “not happening”

No surprise here. While Sale would be a huge get for the Braves, it would undo the progress they have made during this tedious rebuild. Sale will be an interesting name to keep an eye on as the Braves approach contention.

(7/23) O’ Brien: Braves have had preliminary discussions regarding Chris Sale

Chris Sale is most definitely one of the best pitchers in baseball, but his asking price will be through the roof. Atlanta is one of the few teams in baseball with the prospects to pull off such a deal, but it will take a ton to acquire him. Sale can be controlled at a reasonable rate through 2019, which would give the team three years of an ace in his prime. The thought of Sale and Teheran is salivating. This is a situation worth monitoring, as Sale was scratched from his start for a non-physical altercation today. Whether that is code for “we are trading him” is yet to be determined.

(7/22) Puma: Mets interested in Chris Withrow

Link here

Withrow is not a free agent until 2020, and while his strikeout numbers are down a bit this season, so are his walks. He still has good raw stuff an has been a serviceable member of the bullpen. The Braves should definitely play hard ball with their division rival on Withrow, because he is not the type of piece they are trying to sell at the deadline.

(7/22) Rosenthal: Astros have touched base with Braves about Hunter Cervenka, Alvarez and Krol receiving interest as well

Link here

My take: Cervenka has a high walk rate, and while Eric O’ Flaherty is well on his way out the door, Dario Alvarez and Ian Krol have established themselves as nice cost-controlled long term options. With Paco Rodriguez set to come back next season, the Braves’ stable of southpaws makes Cervenka expendable. Rosenthal also notes that Alvarez and Krol are garnering interest on the trade market as well. With four lefties in the ‘pen, one should be moved if it means a mid-level prospect the Braves like. Rosenthal also confirmed two rumors that have been leaked in recent days: that Julio Teheran is going nowhere and that Lucas Harrell, Jeff Francoeur, Gordon Beckham and Jim Johnson are the most likely to go.

(7/21) Heyman: Braves hopeful there will be significant Vizcaino interest, four Braves are likely to be moved… Erick Aybar is not one of them

Link here

While Vizcaino is talented, his injury and suspension history make him a sell-high candidate (though his recent struggles and injury may make him a more attractive piece to move in the offseason). If the Braves can get a hitting prospect for him, it will entice the front office to pull the trigger with the plethora of bullpen arms flying through the system. Heyman names Jeff Francouer, Lucas Harrell, Gordon Beckham and Jim Johnson as guys the team has taken calls on. He says that at least three teams have called on Harrell. While I would like to see Frenchy retire a Brave, you have to pull the trigger on any offer of significance here. He also adds in that the team is looking to move Aybar, but they have no suitors currently.

(7/21) Bowman: Coppolella says he wont trade Julio Teheran, Royals interested in Nick Markakis

Link here

Teheran and Freeman were the two pieces I wanted the Braves to keep, as they still fit the bill of what they are trying to accomplish with this rebuild. Teheran will hopefully be a Brave for the foreseeable future. Good move by the team to hold onto him. Markakis, however, does not fit the rebuild at all. If the team brings back Hector Olivera, having two contact hitting cost-controlled outfielders makes Markakis expendable. The team should try to move his contract while they have a shot, and Bowman thinks they will have to eat some money to make it happen. This is no knock on Markakis, I like him as a player, but he does not fit the team’s vision right now. Kansas City has had stability from their platoon in right field, but if they do not think this solution will translate into the postseason, acquiring a veteran such as Markakis for next to nothing is a good move for them.

 

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