August trade spots for Atlanta Braves veterans that could still happen

It’s been quiet out there… surprisingly so.  Yet there are teams moving into contention that now have needs, so trades are still possible.

There are few official words about which Atlanta Braves may have cleared waivers and thus would be eligible to be traded this month.  We can make some guesses:

• R.A. Dickey – likely cleared
• Julio Teheran – almost certainly was claimed and pulled back
• Jim Johnson – likely cleared (not a ‘rental’ – another year on his contract.  At this point, that matters in a negative way)
• Brandon Phillips – interesting case, but has cleared waivers due to few contending teams having a declared need here.
• Matt Kemp – likely cleared
• Nick Markakis – likely cleared
• Tyler Flowers – probably claimed and pulled back
• Kurt Suzuki – likely cleared
• Arodys Vizcaino – probably claimed and pulled back

I’ll preface what follows with this:  I would not be surprised if the Braves make no trades through the rest of the season.  At this point, teams are trying to replace injured players and otherwise keep momentum going, but the “larger” upgrades have already been done.

Still:  there are needs out there and the Braves could help some clubs… especially some clubs with limited resources (whether we’re talking financial or farm).

Don’t expect big returns here – but if the Braves can create some positional spaces, we might see fresh faces in September.

So let’s revisit the trade chances for these presumed ‘cleared’ players…

R.A. Dickey

PURPOSE:  Helpful for a low-budget team that needs to shore up its rotation, yet doesn’t have a lot to spend from the farm.

This is where a ‘mea culpa’ could very likely come into play… the Minnesota Twins.

They acquired – and flipped – Jaime Garcia at the end of July, but suddenly find themselves back in the thick of the chase after going 8-2.  In fact, after Friday night’s play, the Twins would be IN the playoffs (vs. the Yankees) if the season ended today.

So why not hook up again?

This one could simmer for another week or so, but if the Twins continue to play well, I would not be surprised if they come asking for Dickey.

OTHER OPTIONS:

• Seattle.  Yes – Andrew Albers went there last night.  But Seattle could end up needing another starter.  Besides:  Jerry DiPoto hasn’t seen a trade he didn’t like.
• LA Angels.  They have even less of a farm system than Seattle, so cash AND the contract would probably be necessary here.  Of all the teams in the playoff hunt, they could probably use Dickey the most, considering that their offense is already carrying them… this is a sleeper pick.
• The Yankees.  Not real likely, but on top of their general rotation uncertainty, neither Sonny Gray nor Jaime Garcia have won a game for the Bronx Bombers yet (though they won with an 8th inning 5-spot vs. the Red Sox last night).

Jim Johnson

PURPOSE:  7th/8th inning role to bridge a gap to the closer

For teams in the playoff hunt, let’s look at the clubs with the worst bullpen performance (ERA) over the past two weeks.

Would you believe that the Dodgers are among those near the bottom of that heap?  Still, they are winning, which means less use of Kenley Jansen (0.00 ERA in 5 games over that period), so I’m not worried about them.  Besides, after last year’s dive, I doubt that they would want to bring Johnson back to California.

But the Indians – another surprise – are also on the list and so are the Rockies, Royals (their Cardinals’ series didn’t go well) and the Astros.

For the Astros, everyone is beating them up for not acquiring a big starter before the deadline, but another way to support the pitching – assuming they have any left – is by bolstering the bullpen.

Complicating factor:  Johnson’s 2018 contract year… it’s not an option, though “only” $5 million.

OPTIONS:  In order of ‘best guesses’…

• Astros.  Francisco Liriano has been terrible so far.
• Royals.  Over the past 2 weeks, only 2 of their relievers have ERAs below 4.90.
• Indians.  Not likely unless they want to block a rival.
• Rockies.  In better shape because their better options are pitching okay.

This is a situation that could go down to the wire (as in ‘the end of August’) while teams watch to see if Johnson is indeed throwing better on a consistent basis.

So far in August?  3.2 innings, no runs allowed, and a .154 batters average against.

Those numbers in July?  8.1, 6, and .297.  Big difference.

Brandon Phillips

OPTIONS:  I doubt that teams are ready to look at him as a third baseman yet, and thus there’s only a few places that need some help as his natural second base position.  But there are some possibilities.

The Angels, Brewers, Rangers, and Rays are all looking like they have needs at second since the All-Star break, but only the Brew Crew seems to be actively trying to make an upgrade here… though Ian Kinsler is apparently reluctant to go to Milwaukee – and thanks to his no-trade clause, he doesn’t have to.

But likewise, we don’t know what Phillips’ own limited NTC has on it, but it’s probable that at least one of those teams noted here could be an acceptable landing spot for him.

Of course right as I’m posting this…

So that crosses Milwaukee off the list…. maybe.

Kemp/Markakis/Suzuki

OPTIONS:  Probably slim for all three, particularly Kemp because of (a) his contract, and (b) his legs.

Suzuki might be the one getting the most inquiries, mostly because… catching.

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Barring a setback, Willson Contreras is expected to be out until early September and if the Cubs decide that Victor Caratini isn’t hitting enough for their tastes (currently .192 after a .344 in AAA), then they could opt for a more veteran backup backstop.

As for right field… it’s the Rockies and Twins, though neither are likely to consider taking Nick Markakis, given his extra contract year at $11 million.

Besides, the Braves are 9th worst in RF fWAR for the month prior to today (though in the middle of the pack offensively), and that doesn’t suggest a lot of upgrade for those teams struggling in this category.

Next: Ozzie has more homers than singles

As for Kemp… well, we’re see how things go during the off-season, though I expect that Matt will still be with us come next February.