Bleacher Report buy-low trade candidates that could interest Braves

As the trade deadline approaches, debates among Braves Country run rampant regarding what Alex Anthopoulos should do this year.

Atlanta is in a tight spot. On the one hand, without Ronald Acuna and Spencer Strider for the season, the Braves’ chances of winning a World Series are severely diminished.

On the other hand, if the club just gets into the dance with Max Fried and Ozzie Albies healthy, anything can happen in October, as we know. It’s a crapshoot.

So, Anthopoulos knows his team has a chance if they can just get healthy. He’ll certainly be a buyer to help improve certain facets of the roster, but going “all-in” seems unwise without a strong farm system and your two best players.

It’ll be about balancing the present and future, which is why a few buy-low candidates could be exactly what the Braves end up with, similar to what they did in 2021. Here are a couple of from Bleacher Report’s Tim Kelly:

Michael Conforto: OF, San Francisco Giants

A familiar face, Conforto spent time with the Mets early in his career but never quite lived up to the All-Star expectations. As Kelly points out, Conforto’s home/road splits are exactly why a club like the Braves might be interested.

Oracle Park is notoriously one of the least hitter-friendly parks in baseball, and Conforto’s splits suggest that a change of venue could improve his overall effectiveness. In 34 games at Oracle Park, Conforto is slugging .353 with a .643 OPS compared to a .463 slugging percentage and .768 OPS in 44 games on the road.

If Michael Conforto is available, the Braves might be interested given how little prospect capital they’d have to give up in exchange for his services.

Eloy Jiménez: DH/LF, Chicago White Sox

Injuries have really derailed Eloy Jiménez’s career, and a change of scenery could benefit him, but I don’t know how interested the Braves would be in trading for an injury-prone veteran like Jiménez.

But he’s certainly a buy-low candidate. He’s currently sporting a .238 average with an 83 OPS+, but he launched 18 home runs and drove in 64 runs last year for the White Sox. In 2022, he put together an excellent season that was cut short due to injuries. He only played in 84 games for Chicago two years ago but had a 141 OPS+ thanks to a .295 batting average and 16 homers. Granted, he’s probably a better fit as an occasional outfielder, but the Braves would gladly give up some defense if it meant improving the offense.