As the Atlanta Braves continue to shop for outfielders this offseason we look at a name that has come up plenty of times before.
We’ve written many articles over the years about the Atlanta Braves possibly trading for Mitch Haniger, and thank goodness that never happened before.
It’s really been an unfortunate couple of seasons for Haniger.
After an All-Star season in 2018 in which he hit .285 with 26 home runs and an OPS .859, he struggled to start 2019 and then suffered a string of unfortunate injuries that includes a ruptured testicle, torn adductor, and a herniated disc.
Ouch.
He obviously didn’t play at all in a shortened 2020 season and hasn’t taken the field in a real game since June of 2019.
If the 2021 season gets delayed at all we could be looking at nearly a two-year hiatus before real game action.
But the reports on him from the Mariners are encouraging and it looks like he could finally be fully healthy and ready for the 2021 season.
Why the Braves should take a chance on Haniger
First of all, you have to imagine his price tag has come down a ton since we first started talking about trading for him. Had the Mariners moved him after that 2018 season they could have made out like bandits.
Now, with just two years of control left and the Mariners not really close to contention, you’d have to figure they’d take what they can get for him.
When healthy, we know Haniger can be an All-Star caliber player.
He’ll play the 2021 season at the age of 30, so he’s still in his prime, and he’ll make just $3 million.
Haniger was a plus defender in right field before all the injuries hit, but the Braves would likely put him in left, which is not nearly as stressful.
Of course, the downside is that we haven’t really seen him in two years and the last time we saw him he was hitting just .220.
And as good as he can be, he’s not likely going to give Freddie Freeman the same protection as Josh Donaldson or Marcell Ozuna the last two years.
If the Mariners are going to trade him, and I think they should, it might not come until during the season as teams will want to see that he’s healthy and effective again.
That’s why trading for him now would be a huge risk, but it could also be a huge reward getting an All-Star caliber player who is cheap. Should the Braves do it? Let us know in the comments below.