3 easy and realistic trade options for Atlanta Braves with Josh Donaldson gone

Now that Josh Donaldson is officially gone, the Atlanta Braves will need to quickly pivot to the trade market in order to upgrade this team for 2020 and beyond.

As much as it pains us, Josh Donaldson will not be with the Atlanta Braves in 2020. It’s time to realize that and move on.

There are still plenty of good options for Alex Anthopoulos and the Braves to explore to make this a World Series contender in 2020 and beyond.

From the very beginning, I’ve been the one saying that this offseason is not Donaldson or bust. And I was wary about giving Donaldson a three-year deal, let alone four.

However, as the offseason went on and options came off the board, I understood the argument for giving him a fourth-year and would have been all for it happening.

But now that it hasn’t, I feel very confident that AA will find other ways to improve this roster.

I’m sure a lot of you are expecting me to write about trading for Nolan Arenado and Kris Bryant here, but that’s not going to happen.

Arenado is almost impossible to trade for and I think there is a very small chance that actually happens this offseason.

I’ve said in the past that I think Bryant would be a good fit and I still believe that, but nothing is happening with him until that grievance is settled and who knows when that will happen. I’m not sure the Braves can wait that long.

And even then, the Cubs are asking the world for Bryant — some even suggesting they’d want Max Fried in the deal, so forget that happening.

Nicholas Castellanos and Marcell Ozuna are still out there and would only cost money. I don’t love either one of those options, but it wouldn’t shock me if AA went that route to save using his prospects in a deal.

Those are probably the top four names Braves fans are thinking about today, but there are other possibilities out there that I think could make just as much sense.

Think about it this way, we’re trying to replace the 4.9 WAR that Donaldson put up for the Braves in 2019. There are several ways they can make that happen.

Let’s throw in the left field production as well, which was around 0.6 WAR from Nick Markakis and Austin Riley in 2019.

So, in the end, we’re trying to replace 5.5 WAR between the third base and left field position for the Braves in 2020.

Kyle Seager (2.5 WAR) and Mitch Haniger (3 WAR)

The Braves could go to Seattle and kill two birds with one stone by trading for third baseman Kyle Seager and Mitch Haniger.

I get the concerns with Seager who is not the 5 WAR player that he once was, but he still put up decent numbers in 2019 and was a 2.9 WAR player.

The batting average has really taken a hit the past couple of years from the .260 range down to the .230 range. But he still has a ton of power with at least 20 home runs in each of the last eight seasons.

And Seager still rates as an above-average defender at third base.

I don’t love his contract as he’s set to make $19.5 million in 2020 and $18.5 million in 2021 with a buyout for 2022 that could be as much as $3 million.

The Mariners may have to throw in some money for that to work.

Or, you could take that on as part of trading for Mitch Haniger.

I’m not as high on Haniger as I was to begin the offseason. As Fred Owen pointed out in our latest podcast episode, he’s really only had one good season in the big leagues.

But certainly, he would be an upgrade for what we have slated in left field right now and he’s not that expensive in his first year of arbitration making $3.010 million and he’s under team control through 2022.

Joc Pederson (3 WAR) and Austin Riley (2 WAR)

More from Tomahawk Take

• Braves News: Braves sign Sean Murphy to six year, $73 million deal
• Braves News: Braves re-sign Stephens, Will Atlanta extend Max Fried?, more
• Notable Atlanta Braves Reunions Since 2003: Pitcher Edition
• Braves News: Braves re-sign Jackson Stephens
• Braves News: Braves prospect rankings, Correa deal with Mets at risk, more

This one falls a little short of the 5.5 WAR total I was trying hit, but I think it could be an easy temporary fix. And who wouldn’t want to see Joc Pederson hitting bombs into the Chop House?

Also, can you imagine the amount of power these two would add to the lineup? I know, it would also add a million strikeouts, but let’s not focus on that right now.

Pederson is in his last year of arbitration, so he would be a rental player. He’s also going to an arbitration hearing as he filed at $9.5 million and the Dodgers only offered $7.5 million.

Either way, it shouldn’t be too expensive in terms of prospects and money to trade for Pederson.

We all know what Pederson would bring to the lineup. A lefty slugger who will hit around .250 with close to 30 home runs and be around a 3 WAR player, which he’s been in four of the last five years.

Riley is the big question mark here. And, of course, you could put Camargo back in this mix.

But I think Riley has a chance to break out in 2020 and be a 3 WAR player. And again, if you’re looking to replace the thunder in the lineup then these two will certainly get that done.

I could easily see these two combining for close to 60 home runs in 2020.

These are just a few of the easy options the Braves have available that would replace the production lost with Donaldson leaving.

And other than the Seager and Haniger option, it leaves the Braves with the flexibility to make another significant move either this offseason or during the season.

Let me know which one of these options you like the best in the comments below. Or give us your best option for the Braves now that Donaldson is gone.