On Thursday night, we saw what a full strength Atlanta Braves lineup can produce, as Atlanta dominated the Marlins en route to their eighth straight victory. Continuing to win ball games is a great way to quiet some of the noise resulting from a lackluster trade deadline on Monday.
Sure, there are moves we wish the Braves made at the deadline, but each of those moves would have come with roster casualties. As the season wraps up, a few players have to showcase that they belong each time they step onto the diamond. Here are a few players who survived the trade deadline, but are very much on thin ice for the remainder of the season.
3 Braves who will not be on the roster before the season ends
Ha-Seong Kim
Selecting Ha-Seong Kim as the final player on the bench is interesting to say the least. Walt Weiss clearly has the plan of playing Mauricio Dubon and Jim Jarvis at shortstop for the time being, which means HSK will struggle to find playing time.
Because Kim has been relegated to the end of the bench, his roster status is fringe at best. At any moment, the Braves could upgrade Kim's spot in favor of a player with great speed or power, skills that benefit Atlanta more so for the postseason.
Danny Young
The Braves upgraded the third lefty in their bullpen by trading for Brent Suter at the deadline on Monday. The Danny Young experiment was a valiant shot worth taking, but it has been a clear failure. After Young got hit around against the Marlins on Thursday night, his ERA ballooned to 6.10. What's scarier is that his FIP is higher than his ERA, meaning nothing in Young's profile suggests he is worth keeping around much longer.
Dominic Smith
This one is a bit more complicated because Dom Smith was so good for this team early in the season. However, after his strong start, Smith went through a prolonged power slump during the summer months. As the Braves have gotten healthier, his opportunity to DH has dwindled.
If a healthy Sean Murphy can produce, we could see more of Drake Baldwin at DH. Additionally, the Braves have every reason to allow Ronald Acuña Jr. to get some DH reps at every opportunity. The final case against Dom Smith is the fact that a couple of powerful bats just became available. It may take Smith struggling a bit more, but do not be surprised if his roster spot is eventually upgraded before October.
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