Atlanta Braves Trade Candidates: Is Amed Rosario a fit in Atlanta?

The Atlanta Braves biggest storyline this winter is the hole at shortstop. Today, I look at a unique idea of Amed Rosario being the Braves 2023 shortstop.

Now, I want to start by saying this is a break glass in case of emergency scenario. I imagine that Dansby Swanson is still high on the team’s wish list at shortstop. Followed by the other big agents such as Carlos Correa, Trea Turner, and Xander Bogaerts. All of which have been written about and you can find below:

• Dansby Swanson
• Carlos Correa
• Trea Turner
• Xander Bogaerts

Willy Adames is a popular trade candidate for teams that miss out on the big four shortstops. However, while some believe the Brewers should rebuild, they have given statements to refute that claim. They seem to view Adames as a building block, which I cannot blame them for. There are also guys like Nico Hoerner and Ha-Seong Kim. I really like both but would the Cubs or Padres, want to move either guy? Fred discussed all three of these shortstops in a trade piece that you can find here.

Finally, we do have the idea of Vaughn Grissom or Orlando Arcia. The Braves believe Grissom can play shortstop defensively long term despite the defensive metrics not loving him in 2022. Working with Ron Washington can improve anyone, so I trust the Braves know what they are doing.

However, the idea of Amed Rosario could hold some merit. It may be way down the board, and who knows what letter (Plan I? J?), but it could be a possibility to explore. Let’s explore.

Why the Cleveland Guardians Might Trade Amed Rosario

First, why would the Guardians trade Amed Rosario? The Guardians are coming off an AL Central crown with a super young team. Yet, Rosario has been speculated to be a potential trade candidate.

First, Rosario only has one year of control left at a projected $9M salary. That would most likely make him the third highest (Shane Bieber is projected at $11M) paid player on the team. Not that Rosario is not worth $9M, just that the Guardians have not shown a willingness to spend quite yet.

The Guardians also have plenty of middle infield depth in their organization. Another member of the Francisco Lindo trade with Rosario, Andrés Giménez, is already on the roster. The Guardians also sport top prospects in Tyler Freeman and Gabriel Arias who both debuted already. In the minors, the organization already has Brayan Rocchio, Jose Tena, and Angel Genao. The Guardians could choose to trade from a position of depth.

They could trade a prospect or two to improve their major league team. They could also move Rosario if they do not believe they can re-sign him and continue to add to the next wave of talent in Cleveland.

Rosario hit .283/.312/.403 11 HR, 85 R, 71 RBI, 18 SB, with a .311 wOBA & 103 wRC+. Defensively it was a mixed case. His 6 DRS was really good. However, baseball savant had him at a -10 OAA. He is a phenomenal base runner though with a 1.5 BsR & 2.7 UBR. He was worth 2.4 fWAR, identical to his 2021 fWAR total. Maybe the Guardians look to get something out of him.

Why the Braves Should Consider Amed Rosario

The easy answer here is, there is a hole at shortstop. I love Orlando Arcia, as a bench guy that can give guys days off, not as a full-time starter. Vaughn Grissom looks to have a good bat and the tools to become a great player but the defense, especially at short, is a question.

If the Braves miss out on one of the big shortstops in free agency, they need to find another solution. With the current core in place, this team is in a spot to compete. There does not need to be a hole in the lineup.

Rosario has shown that he can be a solid major league player. He may not have reached the superstar heights that was once dreamed of as a former top prospect, but he is a quality major league player. If Rosario can be a league average bat with a solid glove, that would be a benefit for the Braves.

Starting with the offense, there would probably be a small step back from Swanson’s offense in 2021. Swanson had more power (25 HR to 11 HR) and they both had 18 stolen bases. Swanson did walk slightly more (7.0% to 3.7%). However, Rosario struck out (16.6%) far less than Swanson (26.1%). It may be a slight drop off, but Rosario hitting near the bottom of the order would not be an issue. His strong contact skills and elite base running could be a benefit to feed the top of the order.

Defensively, we mentioned the mixed bag of results. DRS loved him while OAA did not. He is athletic enough to play the position and would get the benefit of one of the best infield coaches in baseball, Ron Washington. He would be serviceable at the position. It also could allow the Braves more time for Grissom to develop his shortstop skills, if they truly believe in him as the shortstop of the future.

The cost is another reason. If the Braves do not want to go into the luxury tax, or at least not too deep into the luxury tax, Amed Rosario would be a cost saving measure. $9M would be much cheaper than the estimated $25M+ it might cost to sign one of the free agent shortstops. The trade cost would not be as significant either since Rosario only has one year of control left.

An added reason could be that Rosario does have some defensive flexibility. He has played outfield at times in Cleveland and the Braves could also move him to the outfield if they wanted.

Why the Atlanta Braves Should Not Trade for Amed Rosario

Amed Rosario does not feel like a perfect fit in Atlanta. I mentioned, I think this is an emergency type scenario. The Braves missed out on the big free agents, and they do not believe Grissom is ready for an everyday role. Rosario is fine offensively and brings qualities that would benefit any team. However, he comes from a team that preaches consistent contact in Cleveland, and the Braves have been more about slugging and power, even if it does mean a few more strikeouts. To be fair, that could also be seen as a positive, having an elite contact guy. That was rumored to be the reason the Braves preferred Eddie Rosario last off-season.

The second reason will be Vaughn Grissom. Grissom holds a big key to the future for the Braves organization. He is apparently working out with Ron Washington this winter in New Orleans to improve his defense. If Uncle Ron can get Grissom’s defense right, then the Braves would not need to trade for a shortstop. While Amed Rosario could also play left field, the Braves could just as easily find a left fielder on the free agent market rather than trade for him and move him off shortstop.

Finally, the Braves farm system is not deep. While Rosario would not cost much in terms of a trade, who would the Braves be willing to part with? Grissom would be way too much. Would they move Justyn-Henry Malloy? Maybe they could move a package involving mid-tier pitcher(s) or position players? Maybe with Austin Hedges leaving, they could be interested in Manny Piña? It is a tougher package to figure out.

A Wrap on Amed Rosario

It is an interesting idea. While probably well down the list of options, there is some intrigue around acquiring Amed Rosario. It does, however, probably remain as the break glass in case of emergency scenario for the Braves.

Rosario is a solid player and could be a productive player in Atlanta. It might be viewed as a letdown by a certain portion of the fanbase though.

It would be a cheaper option, and that would allow the Braves to spend money elsewhere. After missing out on Dansby Swanson (in this scenario), they could possibly turn their attention to a Max Fried extension. Adding Rosario could also allow them to spend elsewhere in free agency such as starting pitching, bullpen, and left field.

It could also be seen as a way to buy Grissom a year to develop into a true defensive shortstop. Grissom was rushed to the majors due to some injuries and this could be a way to grab some of that development time back.

There is also the side that it would be somewhat humorous to watch the Braves pick up another castoff top prospect from the New York Mets and have him turn into a valuable member of the Atlanta Braves.

It is probably a long shot and maybe not a perfect fit but there are reasons for the Braves to at least consider Amed Rosario in 2023.