The trade deadline is two weeks away, and the Braves are going to make some significant changes. The question really surrounds what route they decide to take.
In 2021, the last time Ronald Acuña Jr. tore his ACL, Alex Anthopoulos replaced him with four outfielders on expiring contracts ahead of the trade deadline. The result was the Braves first World Series since 1995, and it didn’t cost them a prospect worth a damn.
Obviously, that would be the preferred method this time around, but there very may well be an All-Star caliber player available at this year’s trade deadline with multiple years of control that piques the interest of Alex Anthopoulos. In that case, the Braves would have to be willing to part ways with some of their top prospects.
Among the things I’ve heard the most leading up to this year’s deadline: “The Braves don’t have any prospects to trade. There’s no way they can get that guy.”
While, sure, the Braves do have a weaker farm system compared to most clubs. Saying they don’t have anything to offer couldn’t be further from the truth. This is an organization with several top 100 prospects, and many more coming down the pike that every potential trade partner would be interested in acquiring.
5. Owen Murphy
Murphy may have come in higher on this list, but he just underwent Tommy John surgery and likely won’t be back until late next season. Still, for a rebuilding club that’s looking several years down the road, that shouldn’t prove to be a dealbreaker, given he is just 20 years old.
Prior to the injury, Murphy was essentially unhittable in high-A Rome, posting a 1.54 ERA with 60 strikeouts in just 41.0 innings. Opponents were hitting just .129 against him as he boasted 0.73 WHIP as well. Murphy was so dominant, that I thought there was a good chance we saw him in AA at some point this season, which would have been remarkable for an arm so young. He’s someone all Braves fans should be excited about when he returns, but pitching prospects are incredibly volatile, which oftentimes makes them better used as trade chips rather than seeing the entire process through.
4. Hurston Waldrep
If a 2023 first-round draft selection that has already made his MLB debut is #4 on the list, it shows the Braves have many quality pieces that could help them land pretty much whoever they want.
Coming into the season, Hurston Waldrep was a consensus top 100 prospect. That’s still the case in some places, but he’s suffered some lumps this year, especially when he was called to the majors. He’s not quite ready to be a starting pitcher at the top level yet and really needs to develop his second and third offerings. The splitter he possesses is a unicorn pitch, but everything else needs polishing.
In truth, the Braves should have known this and never let him get knocked around at the major league level for the world to see. Not only could that affect Waldrep’s confidence moving forward, but it also damages his trade value. That’s why he comes in much higher than some might expect on this list. Waldrep still has an incredibly high floor as a potential reliever, but there are now a lot of questions about whether he can cut it as a starter.
3. AJ Smith-Shawver
According to most prospect outlets, AJ Smith-Shawver is the top prospect in the Braves organization, but it feels like we are right in the middle of a changing of the guard. 2024 has been a mixed bag for him. In his only major-league start, he was fantastic, tossing 4.1 innings of shutout ball. However, he’s been knocked around some in Gwinnett and is coming off an oblique injury.
At this point, Smith-Shawver feels like the ultimate wild card. He certainly has the stuff to potentially become a frontline guy, but there’s also the possibility that he’s best suited out of the bullpen. Still, his upside is enough to intrigue any rebuilding club.
2. Nacho Alvarez
It’s a what have you done for me lately world we live in, and the top two guys on this list have made the most out of the 2024 season to this point. A lot of Braves fans are hoping to get a look at Nacho Alvarez at shortstop before the end of the season. He’s been on fire in Gwinnett, hitting .317 with six homers and a .942 OPS over 25 games, and the struggles of Orlando Arcia have been well documented.
I’m not quite sure if Alvarez is ready for that responsibility, and this could be the best time for the Braves to sell high on him if they don’t believe he can handle the shortstop position defensively. That’s really the only spot he can play in Atlanta, so it’s possible the Braves have a Vaughn Grissom 2.0 situation on their hands. However, this time, they could potentially move Alvarez before they give him a look in the majors while his trade value is sky-high. It would have to be a significant move, but I wouldn’t count it out.
1. Drake Baldwin
Absolutely no player in the Braves farm system is untouchable. This is a team that is right in the middle of its championship window, and none of these guys look like the next Ronald Acuña Jr.
With that being said, Drake Baldwin has legitimate star potential. He’s a catcher that was taken in the third round of the 2022 MLB Draft and is amid a breakout campaign. Since receiving the call to Gwinnett, he’s hitting .307 with six homers and a .972 OPS over 24 games. Very similar numbers to Nacho Alvarez. The difference is this feels a lot more sustainable from Baldwin. He has incredible power to all fields and recently just homered while representing the Braves at the Futures Game.
With Travis d’Arnaud‘s future unclear past this season, Baldwin could make his MLB debut as early as next year. It would have to take a helluva player to convince the Braves to trade him, but Sean Murphy is under contract for the foreseeable future, so don’t be surprised if they eventually move on from Baldwin in the right deal. It’s usually not a bad idea to sell high on a prospect who is really starting to turn heads across the league, especially when he’s blocked by an All-Star that is under control through 2029.
—
Photo: Jeff Robinson/Icon Sportswire
You must log in to post a comment.