Why trading for Francisco Lindor is not the answer for Atlanta Braves
By Seth Carter
Risky Prospects
Drew produced his best season as a professional hitter of balls for the Braves in 2004 then went on to free agency. Adam Wainwright became the ace of the Cardinals and one of the faces of the franchise. In fact, we just saw him in that spectacular pitchers duel in Game 3 of the NLDS last season against Mike Soroka.
Fans still look back on this trade with remorse. However, at the time it served its purpose. The Braves didn’t just lose the bat of Sheffield, they lost Javy Lopez after his best season. Together, Lopez and Sheffield combined for 82 homers in 2003. That’s a big hole to fill for a team that still thinks of itself as a winner. They got what they bargained for with Drew. He hit .305 with 31 homers and a 1.006 OPS en route to another division championship.
Even with the trade working out as planned for both sides… fans still seem to lean toward a negative perspective on this one. Which is a big part of the reason we should not trade for Lindor.
Buyer’s Remorse
We have discussed the price tag a lot on this site. But he’s going to cost us something along the lines of Dansby Swanson plus a good or top prospect, depending on how many teams are lining up for his services. As I discussed in a pros and cons article recently, there are already rumors swirling. When one of the best players in the game is on the block, the market pays attention.
This trade could end up giving us buyer’s remorse in a few years, imagining what might have been with our rotation. “Max Fried, Mike Soroka, and Ian Anderson (or whoever goes in the deal), would have been our next “Big Three.”
It’s never a lock with prospects. In fact, it seems like it’s more likely the prospect won’t turn out to be the next Adam Wainwright. However, on the off-chance that a traded prospect does become a great player that will forever haunt us, the trade-off or improvement in the lineup needs to be substantial.