Atlanta Braves: 8 trade targets to replace Marcell Ozuna
By Fred Owens
The Atlanta Braves lost their left fielder and number three hitter last weekend. If the Braves want to win the division now, they have to find a replacement.
With Marcell Ozuna out of the picture, the Atlanta Braves are again searching for a bat to slot into the middle of the order. While Ozuna was in the groove, he had shown signs of finding his swing.
Even with Austin Riley finding his Chipper Jones-like swing, the lineup needs another bat with some thump. Internal options aren’t promising; Abraham Almonte isn’t the answer, and Drew Waters is still not ready for prime time, which means Alex Anthopoulos must try to find a deal, and it won’t be easy.
The minute the Ozuna news broke, every team with outfielders to trade raised their price. Any bat worth the name will require a top-level prospect; even lower-level players will cost more than they might have two weeks ago.
With that in mind, here’s a look at players I’ve seen mentioned if they’re available and what they might cost.
Mitch Haniger
After his breakout 2018 season, the idea of the Atlanta Braves acquiring Mitch Haniger became a hot topic here, and for good reason. Haniger batted .285/.366/.493/.859, hit 26 homers and posted 137 wRC+, a .367 wOBA, and 4.5 fWAR.
A series of injuries created a forgettable 2019 season for Haniger, and he didn’t play in 2020, but he’s back to his 2018 self so far this year.
He’s currently batting .261/.314/.542/.856, with 14 homers, 138 wRC+ and a .362 wOBA. While DRS says he’s having a down year defensively, he’s been a consistently good defender in the past, recording 7.7 UZR and 24 DRS in right field between 2017 and 2019
The right-handed-hitting 30-year old outfielder (turns 31 in December) earns just $3M this year and is under team control through 2022. The Mariners are currently 28-27, 2.5 games back in the AL West, and GM Jerry Dipoto must be going a bit crazy, as he hasn’t made a (real) trade since December.
The Mariners seem to have a glut of outfielders, and Haniger is the old man of the bunch, but he’s also the only one hitting well right now. Prying him away from a Mariners team that looks like challenging next year will require a good pitcher – Kyle Muller – and probably Waters.