The #RedSox and #Braves are both interested in Mike Moustakas as a trade deadline acquisition, sources say. The #Yankees have already been mentioned as a potential landing spot. There's enough of a market for Moose that it's more likely than not the Royals deal him this month.
— Jerry Crasnick (@jcrasnick) July 15, 2018
While it should come as no surprise, Jerry Crasnick verified what many Braves fans have suspected in the past weeks.
The Braves have been playing some pretty bad baseball lately, but have the All-Star break coming up to get some rest and are still just half a game out of the division lead. This makes them a contending team, and contenders usually add pieces around this type of year.
Alex Anthopolous has made it known that he will be hesitant to give up prospects in a rental deal. However, Moustakas would make a ton of sense. He is probably the only impact bat that can be had for nickels on the dime, if his free agency market was any indication of his true value. The Braves offered Moustakas a contract during the offseason, so they have had interest for a while.
Moustakas could probably be had for a mid-level prospect or two, and that may very well be worth it for the Braves if they can play solid ball between now and the deadline. He has struggled the past couple months, which surely does not help his stock. However, he has still displayed his power abilities, something the Braves could use in the middle of their lineup.
The predicament would be who would get benched between Dansby Swanson and Johan Camargo in this type of situation. Camargo has been much more impressive but may be better suited for a bench role than Swanson, who the Braves have invested a lot more in.
Overall, if the Braves do decide to invest in a bat on the trade market, Moustakas could be had for a reasonable price. However with Austin Riley recently returning from injury, the Braves will have to decide if they want to go this route.
Either way, any deal for Moustakas would be a lot less painful than dealing for Manny Machado.