Braves explore trade market for on-field help

The Braves are actively exploring the trade market in an effort to bolster their outfield corps, reports Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. Atlanta recently signed veteran Eddie Rosario The 21-year-old is back on a minor league contract after being released by the Nationals, but president of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos is also exploring the market for more certain upgrades. The discussions so far have been “preliminary” in nature, Rosenthal added.

It’s no surprise that Atlanta is looking to upgrade its outfield roster. Ronald Acuña Jr. was lost for the season two months ago when he suffered a torn ACL, and Michael Harris II is still recovering from a Grade 2 hamstring strain suffered in mid-June. The pair of injuries have forced the Braves to rely on Kelenic in a jar in center field, where he is flanked by a combination of Adam Duvall, Ramon Laureano And Luke Williams(Laureano, like Rosario, signed a minor league contract with Atlanta after being released earlier in the season.)

As one might expect after two major injuries to their starters, Atlanta’s outfielders have not been as productive as expected this season. The Braves’ outfielders have combined to hit .239/.296/.372 on the season. That batting average puts them in the middle of the pack among MLB clubs, but they are 24th in OBP among their outfield corps and 21st in slugging. Going back to when Acuna was out for the season, Atlanta’s outfielders are hitting just .227/.276/.374.

It’s still early enough in trade season that a number of Wild Card contenders have yet to commit to a deadline strategy. There are, however, a handful of outfielders who will clearly be available in trades among the few obvious sellers. The White Sox (Tommy Pham, Luis Robert Jr., Gavin Leaves), As (Brent Rooker, Miguel Andujar), Marlins (Jazz Chisholm Jr.) and the angels (Kevin Pillar, Taylor Quarter) all have outfielders expected to be available by the July 30 trade deadline. Depending on how things play out around the league, that list could expand to include names like Thomas Lane, Jesse Winker, Randal Grichuk, Harrison Bader, Kevin Kiermaier And Marc Canhaamong others.

Atlanta will likely focus on short-term solutions. Acuna is under contract through 2026 with club options through 2027-28. Harris is under contract through 2030, with club options through 2031-32. Kelenic is under club control via arbitration through 2028. It’s certainly possible the Braves could still acquire someone signed/controlled beyond the current season, but such an acquisition would likely require some familiarity with the game elsewhere on the field, as the 2025 outfield is typically already in place.

Salary is likely another factor to consider. According to RosterResource, Atlanta’s luxury tax is just under $273 million, which puts them just over $4 million away from the third tier of penalty. The move to the third tier is the point at which a team’s first pick in the following year’s draft is bumped up 10 spots — an outcome most clubs would rather avoid. A trade partner could always pay a portion of the salary to help ease those concerns for the Braves, but that would only increase the cost in terms of prospects.