Atlanta Braves center field shopping: Ramon Laureano
By Fred Owens
The Atlanta Braves will have to give to get
Laureano projects to earn just $2.8M this year and has three arbitration years of control remaining. He’s a gold glove caliber center fielder with an arm that’s as good as Acuna’s, a 24 homer bat, and projects will steal over 20 bases a season.
In 2019, Fangraphs said he was worth 3.9 fWAR, 127 wRC+, and a .356 wOBA. Players with those credentials do not come cheap.
I tried to use the trade values site to get somewhere close to his value, but I couldn’t. When you’re talking about a young proven player with five tools, the asking price will include three “55 value” prospects.
Not many teams will venture to that level; Braves would have to include Contreras, Waters, Ynoa, and at least one more good prospect, maybe two.
That’s a wrap
The signing of Manny Pina makes Contreras expendable. Waters won’t reach Laureano’s level any time soon, if ever. Ynoa’s value is as high as it will get, and a Laureano solves multiple problems for the Atlanta Braves.
Next. We have pitchers . . .. dark
Nothing drops in an outfield of Acuna, Laureano, and Rosarios, or Duvall. His bat makes the lineup longer, and his speed on the bases causes trouble for opposing pitchers. Let’s make a deal.