The free agent class is rather weak this offseason, especially at positions of need for the Braves.
Mauricio Dubon very well could be the best shortstop option available, and while left field has a few names that should pique Atlanta’s interest, the good ones are aging, expensive, and received qualifying offers — which makes it really difficult to see them ending up in Atlanta.
The potential trade options, at least as far as shortstops are concerned, should be very intriguing for the Braves. The Orioles have indicated they’ll take calls on Gunnar Henderson. The Marlins have as well on Otto Lopez, and it’s fair to say the Angels will be open to dealing Zach Neto as they continue what’s set to be a massive rebuild. All of those options come with multiple years of control, but to acquire any of them, the Braves would pretty much have to deplete their entire farm system.
That’s what makes a candidate like Corey Seager so intriguing, with Ken Rosenthal reporting the Rangers will try to trade him this offseason.
“The Rangers, though, intend to explore moving Seager at the general managers’ meetings, according to people briefed on their intentions who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly,” Rosenthal writes for The Athletic.
This kind of move doesn’t come without a plethora of hurdles. Seager will be 33 years old next season and is still owed $155 million. He’s also injury-prone and will enter next year coming off elbow surgery. For these conversations to even get off the ground, the Rangers will have to eat a ton of that contract by either sending cash to the other side or taking on bad contracts in return.
On top of that, even if a trade were to come to fruition, Corey Seager has a full no-trade clause, and Braves fans know all too well how that can affect things after Jacob deGrom nixed a deal to come to Atlanta at this year’s trade deadline.
But let’s ignore that aspect for a second, because there’s no way of knowing whether Seager would refuse to join the Braves. Is there a scenario where Atlanta could make something work?
The Braves were the first team Rosenthal brought up when drumming up potential suitors.
“Given all of that, would the Atlanta Braves, who have a glaring need for a shortstop, try for Seager? What about the Toronto Blue Jays, who ranked 28th in OPS at shortstop, just ahead of the Braves? The Yankees, who passed on Seager as a free agent during the 2021-22 offseason but could now use him at third base? The Boston Red Sox, who showed prior interest in Seager and are non-committal on whether Trevor Story will be their shortstop in 2027?”
The actual framework of a potential Corey Seager trade to the Braves isn’t too hard to envision, and it starts with Spencer Strider.
Even if Alex Anthopoulos said on Tuesday that the expectation is Strider will be ready for the start of the season, he’s an unreliable asset at this point. He’s been unable to stay healthy, and even when he’s on the mound, he’s become a well-below-average pitcher because of his drop in velocity. Unless Strider shows he can throw 99 mph this offseason, he’s a sunk cost, with a contract the Braves would love to get out from under.
Strider is guaranteed $22 million in each of the next two seasons, and while that alone wouldn’t be enough for the Braves to take on the remainder of Seager’s contract, it would certainly get the ball rolling.
Whatever Anthopoulos decides to do at shortstop this offseason, it’s going to be a gamble. He can gamble with prospects and go after a star with multiple years of control. He can gamble with money and hope Seager can stay healthy for the remainder of his career. Or he can gamble with talent and hope Mauricio Dubon can play out of his mind for a season or two before somebody in the farm system is ready to take over.
There’s an element of risk that comes with each path, but I would expect Seager to be on the Braves’ radar this offseason.
—
Photo: IMAGO / ZUMA Press Wire