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3 UP & 3 Down – 3 Players Atlanta Braves Should Trade For and 3 They Shouldn’t

By Seth Carter

MINNEAPOLIS, MN - MAY 02: Byron Buxton #25 of the Minnesota Twins looks on against the Kansas City Royals on May 2, 2021 at Target Field in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Brace Hemmelgarn/Minnesota Twins/Getty Images)
MINNEAPOLIS, MN - MAY 02: Byron Buxton #25 of the Minnesota Twins looks on against the Kansas City Royals on May 2, 2021 at Target Field in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Brace Hemmelgarn/Minnesota Twins/Getty Images) /
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Atlanta Braves
Pirates pitcher Richard Rodriguez has thrown well against the Atlanta Braves. Mandatory Credit: Philip G. Pavely-USA TODAY Sports /

Atlanta Braves First Up: Richard Rodriguez, Pirates

In three of his four major-league seasons, Richard Rodriguez has posted an ERA below 3.00 (including this season.)

While he is still under team control for the next two years, the Pirates suck.

Rodriguez would be an ideal piece considering he is more than a rental. You can get rid of the speculation that comes with the prospects who would depart without overpaying for the productivity of a proven major leaguer.

Since the beginning of last season, Rodriguez has walked just 10 batters over 61.2 innings.

This season, Rodriguez has a tidy 2.82 ERA and a .0835 WHIP, which is a little better than his 0.857 WHIP from last season.

His walks per nine are at an all-time low for the reliever at 1.2.

Atlanta Braves One Down: Byron Buxton, Twins

The Twins could not reach an extension with Byron Buxton and have put him on the market.

Byron Buxton has played around 38% of the Twins games since the beginning of 2018. He’s shown a ton of talent and has all the tools in the bag.

There are a lot of risks that come with Buxton outside of just injuries (although the injuries are a huge factor.)

Buxton appeared to be living up to the hype in the first month of the season and the Twins are trying to cash in.

Yes, he is hitting .369 on the season (27 games) but his career batting average still sits at .247. Even worse, his career OBP is .298 with just six walks in the past two seasons.

Buxton played just 39 games in the Covid-shortened 2020 season and walked only twice.

He has improved his power numbers over the past three seasons. There is no doubt that he has a ton of talent. His 33 homers in his past 154 games (over the past three years) shows that his power is real.

There is a lot of risk in buying in on a guy whose value is inflated due to a 222 OPS+ in the first month of the season.

On one hand, Buxton is under contract through 2022 and has the real potential to be one of the top players in the game.

On the other hand, he has never played more than 140 games in a season.

Between 2016-2019, Buxton averaged just 87 games and nine homers per season with a 91 OPS+.

If the price is high on the 27-year-old, he may be one to avoid.

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