It’s sellin’ season in Major League Baseball. We are two months into the year, and teams are looking to tear down their current rosters in return for prospects and promise for future campaigns. The Seattle Mariners, as reported by Ty Bradley of MLB Trade Rumors, is one of those teams. The Braves missed out on M’s closer Edwin Diaz before the season started, but could look to new negotiations to strengthen the big-league club. Who are some of the candidates that would benefit the Braves’ postseason run? Let’s take a look:
Tim Beckham
Former #1 overall pick – Tim Beckham has underwhelmed as a big-leaguer. The 29-year-old shortstop is hitting okay with a .254/.305/.514 slash line. The .514 slugging percentage intrigues me as it shows me that Beckham can be a power bat off the bench. His 11 homers provide proof of that power. The Dodgers have proven that you cannot have enough good players, and Beckham could provide bench depth that is always needed.
Mitch Haniger
Haniger is a name Braves’ fans heard at nausea before the season began. His price was too high for AA to make a deal, and that decision has been a wise one thus far. Haniger is under-performing, hitting .230 through two months. Mitch still provides a power bat with 14 homers and 12 doubles, and maybe his slow start will cause the Mariners to be more willing to part ways with him. Offensively, he is an upgrade in RF over Nick Markakis and could serve as an All-Star caliber stopgap until Pache and Waters are both ready.
Marco Gonzales
The current Ace of the Seattle rotation, Gonzales would provide another quality arm to what appears to be a solid Braves’ staff. The 27-year-old lefty is 5-5 with a 3.96 ERA. His price will likely be higher than most given his age and productivity. However, the Braves have the young prospects to land Gonzales. I’m just not sure Alex Anthopoulos will be keen on giving up prospect capital when a guy like Dallas Keuchel is sitting there waiting to be signed.
Roenis Elias
Elias is another name the Braves could look into, but Atlanta may not feel that he is an improvement over what is currently in the bullpen or AAA. There are not many MLB-ready options in Seattle that Atlanta needs and the Mariners will be willing to part ways with. Mitch Haniger makes the most sense, but with Nick Markakis already here, it will be difficult for the Braves to justify meeting his price tag.