The Atlanta Braves should not try to trade for Francisco Lindor

High cost

First, I can’t imagine the prospect package it would take to trade for Francisco Lindor. We’re talking a perennial MVP candidate with two years of arbitration control left.

His money is about to jump a good bit, which is why the Indians might be considering trading him, but it’s still nothing like what he would demand in free agency.

Which is another reason why it wouldn’t make much sense for the Braves to trade for him … they’re not going to re-sign him once he becomes a free agent. And if he wouldn’t accept a contract extension from the Indians, why would he be willing to accept one from the Braves?

I understand you get him for two years in a window where he could possibly help you win a World Series, but if that doesn’t happen, then what?

You’re going to have to give up at least one of your top three prospects — likely either Cristian Pache or Ian Anderson.

That’s going to hurt you in the long run because as deep as the farm system is for the Braves, there aren’t many players beyond those two who you think could be potential superstars at the big league level.

If I had to guess, a trade package for Lindor would look something like Dansby Swanson, Ian Anderson, Braden Shewmake, and another b-level pitching prospect.

It wouldn’t completely gut the system, but it would take out a huge chunk.

But maybe my main reason for not wanting to trade for Lindor, is he’s not the answer to the problem.

Bigger issue than shortstop

Let me start by saying that shortstop is not the reason the Braves have failed to advance in the postseason the last two years.

Well, maybe it was part of the problem in 2018 because Swanson was injured — but we weren’t beating the Los Angeles Dodgers that year even with a healthy Swanson at shortstop.

What is currently holding the Braves back is a lack of dominant starting pitching atop the starting rotation.

I’ve been beating this drum all offseason and I’ll continue to do so, but they have to find a 1-2-3 similar to what the Houston Astros, Washington Nationals, and Los Angeles Dodgers have.

That’s why there is so much talk about the free agent pitching market this offseason.

As much offense as there is in the game right now with the home runs being hit, teams are realizing that the best way to win is to counteract that with elite starting pitching.

You look at the Nationals who just won a World Series on the back of five or six pitchers, and that becomes the new blueprint for how to win the postseason.

Right now the Braves have one guy like that in Mike Soroka that you can trust to give you a great outing every time he takes the mound … and that’s it.

Now maybe Max Fried takes another step next year, and maybe Mike Foltynewicz has finally figured it out, or maybe one of the young prospects puts it all together.

But that’s a lot of maybes.

The Braves have to find a way to get some frontline starters atop the rotation, and by trading for Lindor and signing Donaldson that limits what they can do in that area.

He’s a winner

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I got killed earlier this season — and rightfully so — for writing an article saying that 2019 was another lost season for Dansby Swanson.

It was a poor headline on my part because it took away from what I was actually saying in the article. The season was only a loss in the fact that Dansby was in the middle of a breakout year but was interrupted by another injury.

I know he was slumping even before the injury, but had he not gotten hurt I think he would have gone on to hit 20-25 home runs and proven why he’s the shortstop of the future for the Braves.

I’ve made my feelings known on here for a while now that Dansby is my favorite Braves player and I want to see him with this team longterm.

To me, shortstop is not the problem for the Braves.

And it certainly wasn’t in the postseason when Dansby hit .389 (7-for-18) with 3 doubles.

The kid just has that ‘it’ factor about him and seems to shine in the biggest moments, and I don’t think we’ve come close to seeing the best of Dansby Swanson.

Having said that, I understand that if the choice is between Lindor and Swanson I’m taking Lindor all day … but it’s not that simple.

And to me, the gap between Swanson and Lindor at short is much closer than the gap between our second best starting pitcher and what could be available to us through trade or free agency.

I’m perfectly happy keeping Swanson at shortstop and believe we can win a championship with him. And if the Braves are going to use their prospect capital to improve the team, I’d rather see them use it to acquire a frontline starting pitcher.