Alex Anthopoulos worked magic at the trade deadline, adding Joc Pederson, Adam Duvall, Jorge Soler, and Eddie Rosario — all of whom played critical roles in the Braves championship run. And the craziest part about it was that he didn’t even really give up much to do it. Not a single top ten prospect was moved and only one top 20 prospect was traded away (Bryce Ball). At the time of the moves, nobody could have predicted just how valuable these four players were going to be, and I would say a large part of the fan base was a bit dissatisfied, or at the very least, unmoved. However, the conversation would have been a lot different had the Braves pulled the trigger on one of these blockbuster deals.
We already know Alex Anthopoulos was attempting to make a mega-trade for All-Star outfielder Bryan Reynolds, but that’s not the only superstar the Braves were reportedly in on. According to David O’Brien of The Athletic, Atlanta was also trying to make a move for Max Scherzer and Starling Marte. However, they never came to fruition because Scherzer would not accept a trade to Atlanta and the Marlins evidently didn’t want Marte in their division (even though they traded the Braves Adam Duvall).
And the Braves didn’t “wait” to make deals. They, too, inquired about Scherzer, but the word was that he wouldn’t agree to a deal to Atlanta. They also pursued a deal for outfielder Starling Marte, but the Marlins traded him out of the division and league.https://t.co/6ueQgeNgNE
— David O'Brien (@DOBrienATL) November 12, 2021
Who knows what would have happened had the Braves made one of those moves, but I think I have a pretty good idea. As good as Scherzer and Marte are, the Braves probably wouldn’t have won their second World Series in franchise history. They also would be without several of their top prospects.
Thankfully, everything worked out the way it did. With that being said, I wouldn’t be surprised if Alex Anthopoulos was talking to both Scherzer and Marte this offseason. Given the rivalry Scherzer has with the Braves, I still don’t think he would come to Atlanta, but money talks. On the other hand, Marte would slot in perfectly to the Braves outfield, which could lose several key pieces this offseason.
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