With the market of free agents having settled down to only include a select few needle pushers, MLB teams now have to start to look at making trades to upgrade their rosters. As the Atlanta Braves have a lot of pieces in place to continue to keep their window of competition open, they are lacking in one certain area.
According to Jon Morosi of MLB Network, the Braves have been in talks with the Colorado Rockies, trying to gauge their interest on a potential deal for star third baseman Nolan Arenado. While a deal is said to not be imminent at this time and talks have died down a bit, the fact remains that the Braves match up well with the Rockies in terms of a return package.
Even though the Rockies just signed Arenado to an eight-year contract worth $260 million earlier in 2019, they have been surprisingly active in engaging with teams on potentially trading him away. A very large financial investment for any team that would be acquiring him, the Braves have the payroll to fit that in, as well as the prospects to entice Colorado to make the deal.
Outfielders Cristian Pache and Drew Waters, right-handers Ian Anderson and Kyle Wright, as well as catcher Shea Langeliers, fill out the top five spots in the Braves’ system, and while Arenado is a generational talent over at the hot corner, a trade package would be tempered in prospects, mostly due to the large financial commitment that the Braves would be making.
Incumbent third baseman/outfielder Austin Riley could be seen as a potential piece in any return, as he would slide into the starting lineup for the Rockies at third. Only 22, Riley already has an MLB season under his belt, which could entice the Rockies just enough.
The team’s reported pursuit of Josh Donaldson throws a wrench into any potential trade, but Donaldson is older than Arenado and could be seen as a player that, while he enjoyed a lot of success in his short stay in Atlanta, is just not worth a long-term investment.
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