With the MLB trade deadline less than a month away, the Braves are going to be dominating headlines because they have clear and obvious holes to fill on the roster as well as World Series aspirations.
From a quick glance, Alex Anthonpoulos could make cheap and impactful acquisitions in the outfield, an area that isn’t expensive at the deadline because of the typical surplus in supply.
However, with Michael Harris II expected back at some point, the Braves could stand to use some of their resources upgrading other areas, namely shortstop.
As Chase ranted, the Braves must replace Orlando Arcia ahead of the trade deadline. He’s been an automatic out and literally the worst hitter in baseball for two months. Even worse, his defense has regressed significantly.
Arcia is the only qualified hitter with an on-base percentage below .250 on the season due to a two-month-plus stretch in which he’s hitting .166 with a wRC+ of 32 (68% below league average).
It’s past time to replace him, but the options may not be as robust as the outfield market. Nacho Alvarez is an internal candidate, though it wouldn’t be wise to rely on a 21-year-old with just a few games under his belt at the Gwinnett level.
One league insider believes the answer will come via trade, in the form of an All-Star. ESPN pundit David Schoenfield believes the one player the Braves should trade for is Bo Bichette.
“Arcia has regressed in a big way, hitting .211 with a .245 OBP. He does provide good defense, but Bichette could be an impact player for 2024 and 2025.”
Bo Bichette is someone that Chase has talked about a lot in recent weeks, and it makes sense for Anthopoulos to inquire about the former All-Star, who is amid a down year.
His career average OPS is north of .800 but he is currently sporting a .619 OPS thanks to a .231 average with four homers. However, he is bound to experience some positive regression sooner or later. He’s a proven commodity with the stick, piling up 14.4 WAR over three seasons from 2021 to 2023, en route to three top-16 finishes in the AL MVP race in that same span.
He’s also under contract for the 2025 campaign, which gives the Braves even more time to groom Nacho Alvarez as the long-term answer at the position. A change of scenery could do Bo Bichette wonders, and how often have we seen struggling players come to Atlanta to find magic?
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