Atlanta Braves: Top Options at Shortstop Next Offseason

Braves Option 4 — Sign Trea Turner

The best shortstop currently set to hit the free-agent market next offseason is current Los Angeles Dodgers shortstop Trea Turner.

Dansby Swanson would be the next-best shortstop on the market behind him at this point.

Turner is entering his age 29 season, so he’ll essentially be signing as a 30-year old shortstop next offseason.

He’s been one of the best players in the game for six years. However, he struggled to stay healthy early in his career.

Last year he took his game to another level as a near 7-WAR player and a top MVP candidate hitting 28 home runs with 32 stolen bases and a 142 wRC+.

He’s likely headed for a big deal, and giving a 30-year old shortstop that much money is a bit scary. But the speed and power combination of Ronald Acuna Jr. and Trea Turner atop a lineup would be deadly.

Braves Option 5 — Sign Carlos Correa or Xander Bogaerts if Available

There is a chance that both of these players opt-out of their current contracts and join the free agent ranks next offseason.

Adding them in with Turner and Swanson would create a pretty great free agent class at shorstop.

Xander would be entering his age 30 season, while Correa would just be entering his age 28 season.

Correa is coming off a 5.8 WAR and 134 wRC+ season and yet his market never developed this past offseason. It will be interesting to see if he thinks his market will be better next offseason — of course, a lot of that will depend on how his season goes.

Like with Turner, it’s hard to imagine the Braves handing out another big contract. But the front office wasn’t afraid to spend this past offseason — so who knows at this point.