A trade between the Braves and the Nationals will give Atlanta another Washington outfielder

The Atlanta Braves have been searching for an outfielder since star outfielder Ronald Acuña Jr. tore his ACL. Alex Anthopoulos had a similar situation in 2021 when he was tasked with replacing the same superstar for the same injury. He handled it impressively three years ago, completing multiple deals for outfielders Jorge Soler, Adam Duvall and Eddie Rosario that helped the team win the World Series.

Anthopoulos now has the chance to do the same with Washington Nationals outfielder Jesse Winker, who has recently appeared on his radar. Winker could be the key addition to bolster Atlanta’s outfield this month. Plus, it could give the Braves another Nationals outfielder to add to their roster after reuniting with Rosario, who was designated for assignment by Washington.

Jesse Winker was once one of the best left-handed outfielders in the entire league. By the end of his tenure in Cincinnati, Winker really took off, dominating right-handed pitchers in the league en route to an All-Star season with a 143 OPS+. But after being traded to Seattle, he completely fell off.

That was the case until mid-May of this season. On May 17, Winker had an OPS+ of 0/3 against the Phillies, which increased his season average to .223/.343/.367. Since then, he has hit .312 with six home runs and 27 runs batted in. He improved his season numbers to .264/.381/.429, which is the third-best OPS+ he has had in a season in his career.

Winker is back and the Braves could look to capitalize on that hot streak by making a deal for the expiring 30-year-old.

This is an extremely obvious move for the Braves. In all likelihood, they won’t seek to re-sign Winker at the end of the season, opting to let him leave in unrestricted free agency. The Nationals likely won’t pick him up either, which means they’d obviously have to trade him in the coming weeks.

The possibility of such a cross-division trade depends on both sides, as it’s scary to trade within your own division. The last thing you want to do is trade the league’s next superstar in a deal like this and watch him grow and flourish with your rival.

Sabin Ceballos is an extremely talented infield prospect (ranked 18th in the Braves farm system by MLB Pipeline) who is hitting .278/.372/.379 in two seasons with the Braves minor league system. He doesn’t have the makings of a five-tool prospect, but he could certainly develop into a capable hitter and corner infielder as he grows and matures.

The Braves need help on the field now. They’re currently chasing the Phillies in the NL East and have all the skills in the world to catch them. Especially since the Phillies are struggling a bit on their own. Win-now moves like this are a must for Atlanta and I expect to see them come to fruition in the coming weeks.