The Braves have fallen victim to some unfortunate injuries throughout this year. What is even more unfortunate has been watching the decline of Adam Duvall. Duvall, who has seen many productive years as a worthy slugger, sadly may be past his time with the Braves. But if the Braves plan to replace Duvall, where should they look to find a suitable replacement? Enter the A’s.
The Braves have done well in trading with the A’s before. Matt Olson is the most prominent example of that success story. Despite fighting a losing battle, the Oakland A’s have several burgeoning options that ambitious teams will be asking about. The obvious names on the auctioning block are Mason Miller and Brent Rooker, but the problem would be digging deep enough into the Braves' shallow farm system to acquire such talent. Fortunately, there are a few names that have been overlooked until recently.
2 under the radar Oakland Athletic’s outfielders the Braves should consider trading for
JJ Bleday
Lately, Bleday has been scorching balls bringing his numbers up quite nicely. This season, he is slashing .256/.341/.473 with 11 HR through 281 ABs. In addition to these numbers, he is tied for third in the MLB in doubles with 22 of them. Currently Oakland's centerfielder, Bleday is on the cusp of a breakout season.
Since making his debut in 2022, until just this year, Bleday hadn’t made a sizable impact in either the Marlins’ or the A’s lineups. Last year, he hit just .195 with 10 home runs through 256 at-bats. The home run total is similar, but the average has gone up significantly in 2024.
In 2024, he's batting .253/.336/.461 with 74 hits including 22 doubles, three triples, 11 home runs, 29 RBI, and a .797 OPS. His walk rate sits at 10.9% and is in the 80th percentile among all MLB players.
JJ Bleday goes yard 💥
— Just Fantasy Baseball (@JustFantasyBB) June 22, 2024
This is why @rami_lavi had him as his Who’s Hot candidate for Week 13!
Since June 11 Bleday is hitting .405!
Look for him on the waiver wire as he’s rostered in under 26% of fantasy leagues 👀
pic.twitter.com/ERUoI17VTk
Bleday's range leaves a bit to be desired defensively with a -1 OAA but he excels with arm value and strength. Baseball Savant has his arm value at 1 which is in the 88th percentile while his arm strength sits at 89.0 which is in the 80th percentile.
The 26-year-old Bleday is owed $740,000 this season and is eligible for arbitration starting in 2026. He enters free agency after the 2028 season. This would give the Braves over four years of control. If Bleday’s hot streak continues and given this extensive time horizon, the A’s might play hard to get. Bleday could be someone they want to keep in their rebuild.
However, the A’s have come to terms with one simple fact. If they are going to compete sometime soon, they will need to make some hard decisions. Not to mention, if they are willing to listen to offers on Rooker and/or Miller, Bleday should be on the trading block.
Miguel Andujar
Since coming in second to Shohei Ohtani in 2018’s Rookie of the Year voting, Miguel Andujar hasn’t been able to repeat his rookie success. Throughout the following years, Andujar has been battered by injuries and has performed very poorly. But this year, he is flipping the script.
After coming back from surgery to repair a torn meniscus, Andujar started hitting like he did in 2018. He no longer swings like a helicopter, but his .328/.352/.431 slash line through 116 ABs with 38 hits including six doubles, two home runs, and 14 RBI is very respectable. However, his power has yet to fully return as his two homers indicate, one of which came against Chris Sale.
What a double play started by Miguel Andujar. 🤯 pic.twitter.com/GTg0tioVGd
— MLB (@MLB) June 23, 2024
Before his surgery in March, Andujar had hit five home runs with a .357 average in spring training. The power is still there, but Andujar has struggled to display it consistently. In time, Andujar will likely find his power stroke again. Another thing that would work in his favor should the Braves acquire him, would be Atlanta's reputation for fixing struggling players.
The 29-year-old left fielder is owed $1.7 million this year and is eligible for arbitration next year before hitting free agency after the ‘25 season. Should the Braves trade for him, they likely won’t need to give the A’s very much considering he will be a free agent somewhat soon, he lacks a track record of success, and the Braves will be assuming his contract. The one major concern with Andujar is his history of injuries. Nonetheless, should Atlanta trade for Andujar, they will receive a quality bat with over a full year of control.