As the trade deadline approaches, I continue to breakdown every single trade candidate possible for the Atlanta Braves, beginning with teams that will undoubtedly be sellers over the next couple of months. If you missed any of the previous editions to this series, follow the links below.
- Oakland Athletics Trade Targets
- Braves trade targets from Angels
- Braves trade targets from Rockies
- Braves trade targets from White Sox
For the next few parts to this series, we’ll be looking inside the division, starting with one of the Braves most-hated rivals — the New York Mets. I’ll preface this by saying I would be pretty shocked if the Braves were able to work out a trade with the Mets. If I were Steve Cohen, I wouldn’t even pick up the phone if Alex Anthopoulos called.
However, crazy intra-divisional trades do happen from time to time, and as I have said throughout this series, I am leaving no stone unturned. If the Mets would consider trading a piece to the Braves that could help them to another World Series, you can bet Alex Anthopoulos is going to try.
Harrison Bader
Harrison Bader doesn’t offer too much with the stick, boasting a career .704 OPS. However, he’s won a Gold Glove and is still one of the better defensive outfielders in the sport. As a depth piece, the Braves could do a lot worse than Bader, but I imagine they’ll be more focused on adding a better bat at the trade deadline.
Starling Marte
Marte fits the Braves’ needs much better. He’s not good defensively at 35-years-old, but he’s still a well above average offensive player. In 57 games this season, Marte is hitting .280 with six homers, good for an OPS of .750 and OPS+ of 120 (20% better than league average). The real issue is Marte’s contract. He’s owed $20.5 million this year and $20.5 million for 2025. That’s a lot of money for someone who is set to turn 36 this season.
Luis Severino
I was pounding the table for the Braves to sign Luis Severino this past offseason. He seemed like the prototypical buy-low candidate for Alex Anthopoulos. So, I was pretty sick when he ended up with the Mets, and the former Yankee has been very productive since moving across town. In 12 starts, he boasts 3.25 ERA and 3.73 FIP. Severino is unlikely to ever become an ace again, but on a one year deal, he would be the perfect candidate to round out the Braves rotation.
Sean Manaea
Sean Manaea is another name the Braves would love to add if the Mets are open for business. He’s under contract through 2025 and boasts a 4.30 ERA and 3.79 FIP on the season. It wouldn’t be the sexiest addition, but he’s a perfect fifth starter and could provide more stability to Atlanta’s rotation past this season.
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Photo: Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire
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