Will The Atlanta Braves Trade Nick Markakis?

It’s no secret that the age players typically start their decline is around age 32, which Markakis is currently.  There are loads of examples to refer to.  Now that doesn’t outright mean they fall off a cliff – and likely neither will Markakis.  But his weaknesses will begin to show more and more by the end of his current contract.  And in this market, the $10.5MM salary he will command each of the next two seasons is relatively light.  And the Braves could even afford to eat a million or three to sweeten the potential return if they so choose.  There could be no better time to movie him than this trade deadline. Striking a deal to send Markakis elsewhere does the following things:

• Once again add more irons to the fire that is a fantastic farm system.  Markakis will likely command a couple of solid prospects.
• Open up an everyday spot for Mallex Smith and Ender Inciarte, both young, cheap, and potentially very productive players under plenty of control.
• Frees up money for the Braves to spend in the future on a power bat asset, something they lack throughout the entire system outside of a couple of extremely young farmhands in Dustin Peterson and Austin Riley.

Now replacing Markakis with Inciarte isn’t the most optimal solution.  They desperately need power moving forward, especially from a position that usually carries some power, but next year’s free agent class isn’t chock full of it like this past offseason.

But opportunities can arise, and it wouldn’t hurt to have the most flexibility possible going forward. If the Braves were able to acquire a corner outfielder with some pop next season, via trade or someone like Dexter Fowler in free agency, they’d likely be in a better position in say 2018 than they would with Markakis in right field.  Now just to find out what is to become of Hector Olivera.