Alex Anthopoulos said he plans to target a left-handed bat at the trade deadline, and so far, that has been the primary focus of this series. Although, I do believe a right-handed relief pitcher is quickly becoming an even bigger priority, especially considering all of the injuries the Braves’ bullpen has suffered.
If you missed any of the pervious parts to this series, follow the links below:
Trey Mancini
Mancini has been one of the Orioles best players for the last several years, and he’s someone the Braves have been linked to in the past. However, Baltimore has always been hesitant to move him because of the incredible value he brings to their clubhouse as well as on the field. If I’m the Orioles, there’s no questioning that I would try to extend him, but Baltimore is probably still a couple of years away from competing, and they have notoriously been one of the cheapest teams in baseball.
If the Orioles don’t plan on extending Mancini, they have to trade him. There’s no purpose in holding onto him as they eventually fall into the abyss of teams that are eliminated from playoff contention. Mancini should have no shortage of suitors, and it would make a lot of sense for the Braves to be interested again. Because he’s an impending free agent, he won’t cost a ton in terms of prospects, and Mancini could add a lot of versatility to the Braves lineup. He can play in the outfield or DH, and he crushes right-handed pitching–even though he bats right-handed– to the tune of an .813 OPS. With Marcell Ozuna continuing to underwhelm, I would love to bring in a guy like Mancini who could at least platoon with the Big Bear.
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