Which Atlanta Braves players could be traded in 2023?

#1) Marcell Ozuna

Arriving at the shock to very few in the Atlanta Braves fanbase, Marcell Ozuna appears on this list in the same priority spot that the Braves front office will likely have him in – number one.

Solving the “Marcell Ozuna issue” has been on the forefront of everyone’s minds since both Ozuna’s on- and off-field performance started to falter in 2021. However, 2023 provides a new opportunity for the Atlanta Braves to solve it. With the fresh slate this new season provides comes a new set of circumstances that could allow Atlanta to offload Ozuna to a willing patron.

For one, the 2023 season will see a full-length Spring Training – something that was not available to any of the players last season due to the lockout imposed during CBA negotiations. That’s significant because, especially for baseball players, routine is everything. Even the most minor of disruptions can cause a player to seriously struggle from the get-go, which makes it difficult to ever find solid footing during the long season.

If Ozuna can put together a promising Spring Training campaign, then it stands to reason that he could either be shipped to a team willing to take a desperate flier on a DH or potentially carry his performances over to the regular season to further solidify his identity as a worthy trade piece.

Even if Ozuna does manage to stabilize his behavior and sort out his swing, the $32 million that he’s owed until 2024 is still likely to be a pain point for a potential deal. Climbing out of the pits of a -0.9 fWAR since 2021 with that price tag over your head can be a tall task, so don’t be surprised if the Braves are willing to see minimal financial reprieve in a potential deal.

Certainly, previous comments made by Alex Anthopoulos that suggested no commitment to Marcell Ozuna past this upcoming Spring Training indicate that whether by trade or DFA, Ozuna is a featured name on the Atlanta Braves roster bubble.

Unfortunately, though, Ozuna isn’t the only issue in left field for Atlanta.

#2) Eddie Rosario

For Eddie Rosario, the 2022 season did not sustain the mashing magic that he was able to kindle in the 2021 NLCS against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Despite carrying the Braves to the World Series with his .560 average on 14 hits, nine RBI, and three massive home runs in that series, a hole in his right eye’s retina would severely hamper his start and overall performance in last season’s proceedings.

Rosario, in 2023, would post a -6 OAA, -5 RAA, and league fourth-worst -8.2 UZR rating in left field despite playing another three months following his return from eye surgery. On the offensive side, he was equally bad, managing only a .243/.281/.379 slash line after his return from the IL. He finished the year with a -1.1 fWAR, 62 wRC+, and 25.2 K%.

Naturally, just like Ozuna, a fully healthy offseason and normal Spring Training could do Rosario’s confidence a lot of good. Alex Anthopoulos has reflected those same sentiments. If he were to come good, the Braves would be presented with a tough decision –  keep him as the everyday left fielder with his poor defense, or trade him to a willing suitor.

Remember that left field is a crowded position for Atlanta; Rosario, Ozuna, Jordan Luplow, and Sam Hilliard all stand a chance to see minutes there. With the DH spot likely to now be occupied by Travis d’Arnaud most nights, it will be tough to give each left fielder the minutes they need to get in a successful rhythm.

Rosario, with only one year remaining on his contract and no off-field issues to speak of, will naturally be an easier sell for interested trade partners than Ozuna. When considering the relative logjam at the position, the market will tell all in regards to who is shipped between the two.

While I fully expect one of the two aforementioned left fielders to be dawning new colors in 2023, this next candidate is an option only in the most disastrous of circumstances.

#3) Max Fried

I promise this inclusion isn’t because I think this trade will happen. In fact, the idea fills me with dismay as much as it does any other fan. However, the possibility that Max Fried could be traded deserves acknowledgment.

Until now, efforts to extend Max Fried have been unsuccessful. Though, given that his contract does not expire until the end of 2024, it could be that Alex Anthopoulos and the Atlanta Braves are waiting for a more opportune moment to seriously push for an extension. On that same token, it only gives the organization two seasons to figure something out before Fried, one of the best pitchers in all of baseball, could walk away for nothing.

Obviously, trading the NL Cy Young runner-up is not in the Braves’ immediate plans regardless of any contract situation. If the team is on pace to compete for a World Series as they rightfully expect, Max Fried will remain vital to that opportunity and will remain the ace.

Alternatively, if the Braves were to somehow find themselves severely underperforming for a slew of reasons, then the previously unthinkable could cross their minds. At the 2023 Trade Deadline, Fried would have one-and-a-half years left on his contract, which is a very decent amount of control for a pitcher of his caliber. The return that the Braves would get from shipping him away in 2023 versus 2024 could be drastically greater.

Even if the team is massively underperforming, the only scenario in which I could envision this happening is one in which the team is 100% confident in Fried’s determination to hit free agency. Given that Fried could genuinely command a contract in the range of $30 million per annum, this isn’t exactly out of the realm of possibilities. That’s why he’s on this list.

Jim Callis of MLB Network didn’t throw out this rumor on a whim. It really is possible, no matter how unlikely. Let’s just hope that for sanity’s sake that the Braves are performing as expected and this never comes to fruition.

#4) Ian Anderson

Like many other names on the Atlanta Braves’ starting rotation bubble, Ian Anderson will be given his fair shot to claim the now-open fifth spot in the rotation. Given the success that he has enjoyed in certain spells up to this point in his career, there’s no doubt he can be a solid major league starter.

However, acknowledging that also means that other teams will be interested in him as well. There are a few scenarios that could entail Anderson wearing different threads in 2023. For one, if he were to struggle out of the gate and earn himself yet another minor league demotion to start the season, he could be viewed as excess goods.

This is especially true given the fact that the Braves have plenty of hungry suitors looking to claim the final spot in the rotation, such as guys like Bryce Elder, Mike Soroka, and potentially even Huascar Ynoa. If one of those three were to burst onto the scene, Anderson could very well be used as trade bait.

Even if Anderson were to improve drastically on his 5.00 ERA, 4.25 FIP, 0.9 fWAR season and become a serviceable starter, the Braves, aware of their depth at starting pitcher, could ship him away in exchange for left field or shortstop assistance in the case that those positions are desperately struggling for production.

In fact, a good season from Anderson might very well increase the Braves’ willingness to trade him at the prospect of a worthwhile return. With barely two years of service time under his belt, Anderson has plenty of control left for any interested team as well.

The starting pitching department is going to be one of the most interesting situations to monitor for the Braves, but as was the case for the left field, it isn’t the only one.

#5) Vaughn Grissom and Orlando Arcia

The reason these two have been included together is because the situation that could provoke their possible trade is largely the same. Vaughn Grissom and Orlando Arcia will be competing against each other to see who can claim the role of starting shortstop in Dansby Swanson’s absence.

It’s likely that Vaughn Grissom, given his youth at 22 years old, will be handed priority and possibly even a longer leash than Orlando Arcia. His 121 wRC+ and .345 wOBA alone eclipsed Arcia’s numbers last year by a healthy margin. If he were to come flying right out of the gates and produce at a high level, it would be unlikely that he’s shipped elsewhere. In that scenario, Orlando Arcia could be on the block.

Arcia is no longer the youngster brimming with potential that he was in 2016. However, a team is bound to be interested in his 104 wRC+, .321 wOBA, and .172 ISO that he had last year. This is especially true if he can build on those numbers in 2023. If both shortstops are successful in 2023, then the 28-year-old Arcia has a real shot to be involved in a trade package for help elsewhere on the field.

On the flip side, if Grissom is struggling mightily and Arcia is thriving, the Atlanta Braves will be forced into making a decision. Do they sell high on Grissom to a team enamored with his potential despite his struggling, or do they stick it out with him as a temporary backup option? That will depend on other positions.

If left field or even the starting rotation is a detriment to the team’s success, Grissom, as was discussed in many trade proposals this offseason, could be flipped for proven help in those positions. The end goal of another World Series will not be halted by waiting for Grissom to come good.

As is the case with all rumors, they are mostly conjecture. None of the players on this list are a lock to be traded at all. The purpose of this article is simply to identify potential candidates and to prepare fans for a possible reality in which one of these players is sent away from Atlanta.

With that said, do you agree with these potential trade candidates, and if not, who are some that have flown under the radar?