Who should the Atlanta Braves get rid of, and who should the Atlanta Braves keep?
The Atlanta Braves need to get rid of their veteran players before the trade return for them diminishes and to make room for the promotion of touted prospects to the big leagues. This could also make room for a roster spot for a player they acquire in a trade down the road.
Players that could/should get traded…
Jim Johnson
The trade of Jim Johnson is something that most Braves fans are awaiting. As of Saturday night, Jim Johnson leads the league in blown saves with 8. It’s about time Arodys Vizcaino steps into the closing position while Johnson steps out of it.
There are contending teams that really need some bullpen help. Jim Johnson could be the answer to those teams, however, I would advise those teams to not use him as a closer…
Brandon Phillips
If you’re anything like me, you grew attached to Brandon Phillips when he put on an Atlanta Braves uniform. He has been dominating the middle infield all year for Atlanta, and has been killing it at the plate.
The addition of not only his skill, but his personality is what has many people attached to him. I see him as a veteran ball player trying to make the biggest impact while having the most fun possible. That has brought life to the Braves organization and the fan base. Getting Phillips was a success and much needed, but I see his time in Atlanta nearing an end very soon.
R.A. Dickey
By taking into account Dickey’s age and his consistency on the mound, you could make the case that Dickey is still a solid pitcher at 42 years old. Dickey is still posting a 4.08 ERA and has a club buyout option for the 2018 season. However, the likelihood of him returning for the Braves in 2018 is extremely thin. If this is Dickey’s last season, it would be nice for him to go out with a bang on a team in contention.
Players that more than likely WON’T get traded…
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Julio Teheran
This year, it’s no secret that Teheran has been struggling on the mound. But he has pitched to a 3.34 ERA in 30+ games per season in the past 4 seasons (2013, 2014, 2015, 2016).
Teheran can still be a dominant pitcher who is having a readjustment season. Seeing Teheran get traded just to become dominant again on another team would be heartbreaking considering his upside as a 26 year old pitcher with MLB experience in parts of 7 years.
Teheran still has a future for the Braves. He has to figure out is what has thrown his game off this season, and continue to make adjustments. So far, Teheran has made decent progress in bouncing back from his mid-season crisis:
– April – 3.38 ERA in 5 games
– May – 6.12 ERA in 6 games
– June – 6.35 ERA in 5 games
– July – 4.45 ERA in 5 games
The Braves organization needs to keep trust in Teheran to fully recover from this slump that he is in.
Matt Adams
Adams is under team control through next season, and he has been producing numbers at a rate that almost forced the Atlanta Braves to keep him. It’s obvious how dangerous Adams bat is, but the asking prices so far have not been what Atlanta is looking for.
There was a chance the New York Yankees were going to get Adams, but they had tried a variety of internal and external options instead. So far, the only related deal they’ve made was trading with the Milwaukee Brewers for Garret Cooper. Cooper has been called up to the big leagues to serve as the Yankees starting 1B, and slowed the Adams-Yankees trade rumors (though they could still opt for Yonder Alonso from Oakland today).
Kurt Suzuki
If Atlanta gets rid of Suzuki, who else is going to back up Tyler Flowers? David Freitas? Kade Scivicque? Alex Jackson?
Suzuki has proved himself to be an awesome back up for Flowers and an asset for the Braves. If there is one veteran that the Braves are going to hold onto, it’s definitely going to be Suzuki.
Next: More About Trading Julio Teheran
Knowing Coppy and Atlanta Braves front office, some magic will be pulled off today that no one thought would ever be possible. With Johan Camargo asserting his dominance, it’s even possible Ozzie Albies could get traded today, or in the future. Nothing is off of the table, and today is going to be full of surprises: not just in Atlanta, but all across the league.