The Braves find themselves in an unusual spot, outside looking into the playoffs. Following yesterday’s conclusion of the Brewers series, one in which Atlanta was swept, the Mets knocked the Braves out of the final spot in the Wild Card.
With less than 50 games left in the season, there’s a real possibility that Atlanta will miss the postseason for the first time since 2017. The Braves offense has been the Achilles heel of the team this season, but injuries, bad luck, and underperformances have kept the club from building any kind of momentum.
Though I believe the Braves are talented enough as currently constructed to capture a postseason berth, acknowledging the possibility that they might not is important because if our worst fears are realized, major changes need to come this offseason.
I’m not talking about Brian Snitker or Alex Anthopoulos. They certainly aren’t infallible, but more often than not, they do excellent in their respective roles. But the Braves will need to make changes if they miss the playoffs. I’m not even sure what the obvious move would be with so many of the club’s everyday players locked up to long-term deals.
The one area that isn’t is shortstop and could be upgraded. Orlando Arcia is a below average offensive player at best, and the Braves should be able to find a suitable replacement through the trade or free agent market.
Bleacher Report believes Atlanta’s shortstop is the most likely player to be traded this offseason.
This is a long shot. Arcia has been a solid role-player on otherwise star-studded teams in Atlanta, and there hasn’t been any public indication that the club wants to move on from him.
Yet the slide in his productivity since the 2023 All-Star break makes it conceivable that Atlanta will look to upgrade at shortstop, perhaps by signing Willy Adames or Ha-Seong Kim or trading for Bo Bichette. If so, they’d surely try to find a taker for Arcia.
Arcia is in the second year of a three-year, $7.3 million deal with a club option in 2026. At worst, the Braves could use him as a bench piece, capable of filling in at either of the middle infield positions. With Ozzie Albies’ injury history, that’s a necessary role to fill. For that reason, I can’t see the Braves trading Arcia, because it’s not like he’s going to garner much of anything in return.
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Larry Radloff/Icon Sportswire
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