Braves: 3 Blockbuster trades with American League teams

With five games upcoming against the Mets before the trade deadline, there are no guarantees that the Braves will be buyers. However, if they pull out a series win, I expect them to be adding before July 31st, and they have the farm system to pull off just about any trade they want. Over the weekend, I broke down three blockbuster trades with teams from the National League, and as promised, I have three more from the American League today.

 

Guardians trade Jose Ramirez to Braves for Cristian Pache, Drew Waters, Kyle Muller, Jared Shuster, and Trey Harris 

Yes, you read that right. The Cleveland Guardians are trading Jose Ramirez to the Braves… I’m not sure I’ll ever get used to that. Ramirez is my dream target. He’s a legitimate MVP candidate with multiple years of control after this season, and it looks as if the Indians would be willing to trade him if they are blown away with an offer. This might be just enough to do the trick.

Pache and Waters are the Braves top two prospects. Both are toolsy outfield prospects that are very close to being major-league ready. The Indians need outfield help, and this would allow them to go through more of a re-tool rather than a rebuild, which is how Cleveland likes to operate. Muller is also proving to be major-league ready, as he’s currently a member of the Braves rotation. The Braves would probably like to keep him, but they have a surplus of rotation arms on the cusp of being major-league ready, so moving Muller isn’t out of the question. Shuster was the Braves first round pick last season, and Harris is a top-20 prospect that has a decent chance at contributing in the majors.

That’s a hell of a haul, but that’s what it would take to bring in a talent like Ramirez, and frankly I would probably do it. I imagine Cleveland would attempt to pry away Austin Riley, but I only love this trade if the Braves can get it done without including Riley in it.

Twins trade Byron Buxton and Taylor Rogers to Braves for Cristian Pache and Kyle Wright

Jim Bowden of The Athletic recently suggested the Braves go all-in by trading for Buxton, Rogers, and Jose Berrios of the Twins. That would be quite the deal, but I don’t think Atlanta needs to include Berrios. They have enough starting pitching. However, Buxton and Rogers make perfect sense because they fill the Braves two biggest needs. Buxton would slot into centerfield, giving Atlanta another All-Star caliber player in the lineup, and Rogers would immediately help the Braves out in high-leverage situations. Both players are also under team control through next year.

The package I put together for the Twins is interesting, but I believe it to be fair, and I think the Twins might consider it. Pache’s value has plummeted a bit after an abysmal first stint in the majors, but this is still a young man oozing with potential that many see as the Braves top prospect. Minnesota could be interested in buying low, which could pay significant dividends. Wright is more of a throw-in, but again, the Twins buy low on a player with plenty of upside.

Rangers trade Joey Gallo and Ian Kennedy to Braves for Christian Pache, Kyle Muller, and Kyle Wright

Once again, the Braves kill two birds with one stone in this trade. Gallo owns one of the weirdest slash lines in baseball this season, which is typical for him. He’s hitting just .222 but leads the league in walks, so his OBP is .380. Gallo is one of the most powerful bats in the game, already mashing 24 homers this season, which puts him on pace to record 40 home runs for the third time in the last four full seasons. He would instantly make the Braves lineup championship worthy again, and it would be even scarier when Acuña returns in 2022 — the last year Gallo is under contract. Kennedy isn’t exactly what the Braves are looking for, given he is a true rental that is on the last year of his deal. Still, Atlanta is desperate for bullpen help, and he would help the back-end tremendously.

The return for the Rangers is a great one, and I’m not sure the Braves would pull the trigger on this. Pache remains Atlanta’s top prospect despite his rough start to 2021 in the majors, and Muller is already having some success at the top level. Wright’s value may have plummeted over the years, but the Rangers should still be interested in adding someone with his upside. Perhaps with some more opportunity and a change of scenery, he could turn things around.