The end of the regular season is fast approaching, and while it is looking more and more like the Atlanta Braves will have a chance at a playoff run, it would be malpractice not to at least start thinking about the upcoming offseason. Right now, the Braves have some pretty obvious needs in left field, shortstop, starting pitcher, the bullpen, and maybe designated hitter if Atlanta opts to abandon their current catching platoon (more on that later). That is a long list of needs, which is complicated by the presence of some unfortunate contracts on their payroll.
For the most part, Atlanta's roster doesn't have a lot of contracts that the team probably forgets. Alex Anthopoulos loves short-term deals that reduce risk, and many of the players on the roster have earned their salaries or are absolute bargains. Unfortunately, that is not the case for the ENTIRE roster, and that begs the question as to what the Braves could do about them and if one solution could be to
Here are the bad contract swap trades the Braves should look to make this coming offseason
As fun as they are to think about, we don't see a lot of bad contract swaps anymore. Most teams don't want to admit mistakes in handing out any long-term deal until they are literally impossible to trade. It is also true that many front offices would prefer to just give away any bad contracts and not have to take on wasted payroll in return. However, the Marcus Semien-Brandon Nimmo trade showed that such trades DO still happen sometimes, and there are some intriguing swaps the Braves could try to pursue, even if they aren't overly likely.
Spencer Strider to the Cubs for Dansby Swanson
This may seem like a cheap suggestion, given Dansby Swanson's history with the Braves and his popularity amongst fans. However, the Braves need a shortstop who can actually carry his weight, and the Cubs could use rotation depth. Everyone is talking about trading Spencer Strider right now after trade deadline rumors resurfaced, and Swanson's bat may not be a fit for what Chicago needs most right now.
Now, this plan is far from perfect. Both players are owed real money on their existing deals, with Swanson getting $81 million over the next three seasons and Strider receiving $64 million over the next three years plus a $22 million club option for 2029, so any one-for-one trade may be tricky. The Braves may also prefer to add a shortstop who is better than a league-average hitter like Swanson, and the Cubs don't have a shortage of injury-prone starters like Strider, hence their current search.
Austin Riley to the Angels for Mike Trout (okay, hear us out)
Okay, okay...the odds of this one are astronomically low. The Angels' new owners aren't likely to want to immediately trade the face of their franchise for the ghost of Austin Riley, and Mike Trout's contract is a special kind of bad that would probably send Anthopoulos running for the hills. There is also the problem of Trout's no-trade clause and the fact that he has shown no willingness to waive that clause to this point.
However, a swap being a part of a larger deal isn't as crazy as you probably think. Trout is owed $148.4 million through 2030, and Riley is getting $22 million a year through 2032 for a total of $132 million. The Angels would get some payroll relief spread out over a longer period, and the Braves get to see if Trout can regain his former form and potentially give them the stud right-handed outfield bat that they REALLY need at the moment. Again, not likely at all...but something to think about.
Sean Murphy to the Yankees for Ryan McMahon (plus more)
This is a weird one, as Sean Murphy does have real value for his catching acumen and has been pairing well with Drake Baldwin. However, Murphy has been injured for the vast majority of his tenure with the Braves, and his bat is remarkably streaky. That is a tough sell for a guy who is under contract through at least 2028 at $15 million a year.
Meanwhile, the Yankees need a real catcher, and some have already tried to link them to a Murphy trade in the past. New York has plenty of money, and while they would probably prefer to send Giancarlo Stanton and his broken body over in a trade, Atlanta could potentially be convinced to take on Ryan McMahon as a utility reclamation project. McMahon is owed real money at $16 million next year, but there is a world where a trade could make sense if the Yankees ponied up a couple of quality prospects.
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