As the injuries really begin to take their toll on the Braves, it’s fair to wonder what kind of moves Alex Anthopoulos should make ahead of the trade deadline. Going all-in with so many pieces on the shelf and an already weak farm system feels like a mistake, but not giving this team a fair shake by adding while still leading the NL Wild Card race shouldn’t be an option either.
If we’ve learned anything about Alex Anthopoulos over the years, we know he’s going to be aggressively trying to upgrade the roster over the next week. That doesn’t mean some blockbuster additions are coming down the pike, but the Braves roster can be upgraded significantly without giving up any top prospects, a lot like it was back in 2021.
With Michael Harris II recently moved to the 60-day IL, we now know the Braves will be without their star centerfielder for at least three more weeks. Ozzie Albies also won’t be able to return until the last couple of weeks of the season at the earliest, and who knows how soon Max Fried will be cleared to pitch again. Not to mention, Ronald Acuña Jr. and Spencer Strider are out for the season.
Replacing those guys is impossible. Those are five All-Star caliber pieces. However, replacing their replacements should be fairly easy.
The Braves need several starters, and they could probably upgrade their entire bench outside of Travis d’Arnaud. As of now, this is a starting lineup that features three of the worst qualified hitters in the game.
217 players in MLB have at least 250 plate appearances this season
here are the bottom 5 by wRC+
213: Andrew Benintendi 59
214: Adam Duvall 58
215: Orlando Arcia 57
216: Jared Triolo 56
217: Eddie Rosario 54Braves everyday lineup has 3 of the 4 worst hitters in baseball
— Stephen (@b_outliers) July 24, 2024
For the bottom half of the Braves order to improve significantly, they don’t need to bring in All-Star caliber talent. All they need is to acquire a few players that can provide league average offense. That alone will have the Braves offense looking much more competent, and if they can do any better, they might just be a top 10 offense again.
The answer to the Braves issues isn’t one or two star players. The answer is 5-6 league average guys that take up some starting roles and fill out the bench. Anthopoulos will be searching the landscape for options with upside, most likely guys that crush left-handed or right-handed pitching, and others that can get scorching hot at any moment like Eddie Rosario and Jorge Soler did back in 2021.
In most cases, acquiring quality is much more important than quantity. For the 2024 Braves, it’s the opposite. They should be looking to get 5-6 new faces in the building that may not be having the best seasons, and hoping at least 3-4 of them can prove to be, at the very least, league average offensive players. That’s really not too much to ask, and if Alex Anthopoulos can accomplish this, the Braves are going to look like an entirely different team after the trade deadline.
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Photo: David J. Griffin/Icon Sportswire
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