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5 outfielders the Braves could trade for if Eddie Rosario lands on IL

With trade season ramping up in the next couple of weeks and Eddie Rosario being removed with an injury from Sunday's game, let's explore some trade options for the Atlanta Braves if he unexpectedly lands on the IL.

By Steven Teal |
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The Atlanta Braves are no strangers to making good deals during the trade deadline to address needs. The team this season is very good and there are very few things that feel like need to be addressed.

Bullpen and starting pitching trades are always on the table as you can never have enough pitching depth. As for the offensive side of the ball, Atlanta has more than they could have hoped for in 2023 as the entire lineup has been doing well which is wild to consider with how bad Ozuna and Michael Harris II started their seasons.

Eddie Rosario also struggled early on but had started to find his swing. However, his recent defensive gaffs during the Braves series with the White Sox and removal from the game with hamstring tightness shows Atlanta may need to consider outfield options.

While Rosario isn't expected to miss a lot of time and is currently listed as day-to-day, we all know that status could change in an instant. It's likely the Braves will only focus on improving the bullpen or starting staff but it's fun to see what options exist as it pertains to outfielders. If Atlanta can improve other positions, why not at least see what's available?

With that in mind and the trade deadline approaching, let's look at outfielders the Braves could consider acquiring if Rosario needed an IL stint or if they want to add more depth to the team.

1. Adam Duvall - Boston Red Sox

Adam Duvall is no stranger to the Atlanta Braves as he was traded to the team from Cincinnati in exchange for Lucas Sims, Matt Wisler, and Preston Tucker in 2018. Duvall had a rough start for the Braves as he didn't transition well as a bench player.

He started the 2019 season with Gwinnett and hit 32 homers before being brought up to Atlanta due to a Nick Markakis injury. He was a different player and became an offensive force for the Braves. His 2020 wasn't the best but he did hit 16 homers in that season but a strained oblique knocked him out of the NLCS and ended his season early.

He landed with the Marlins after the Braves declined to tender a contract to him in 2021. However, that was short-lived as he was brought back to Atlanta after Ronald Acuna Jr's season-ending knee injury forced the team to make a move. Duvall was with the team from that point on until his season ended in 2022 due to a wrist injury.

Duvall signed this off-season with the Red Sox on a one-year deal worth $7 million. His season got off to a roaring start as he slashed .455/.514/1.030 and a 1.544 in 37 plate appearances. This included 10 extra-base hits and 14 RBI combined in March/April.

A wrist injury knocked him out for over a month and he has struggled since returning.
In June, he had a .167/.265/.283 slash line and the month of July hasn't been much better with a .185/.226/.444 slash line but his slugging percentage and OPS increased during that time frame.


His contract isn't terribly expensive and he brings valuable defense and also can leave the yard at any moment. Getting back into familiar territory could be very beneficial for both sides.

2. Randal Grichuk - Colorado Rockies

The former Cardinal and Blue Jay has been up and down offensively in his career. He's always been pretty good at providing some power to a lineup. He missed the first month of 2023 due to surgery for a hernia in February.

When he did make it back on the field, he hit the ground running with a 12-game hit streak to start the season. His power hasn't really returned yet as he has just 5 of them through 203 at-bats so far. But to be fair, he had the same amount of homers at that point in 2022 and he finished the season with 19 of them. His career high is 31 homers back in 2019 with Toronto.

His batting average sits at .300/.364/.473 on the season with those aforementioned 5 home runs, 22 RBI, 17 walks, and 47 strikeouts. Oh, and he can make some pretty good plays in the outfield as well.


He's been excellent when it comes to getting singles and doubles, however, as he has 61 total hits so far in 2023 with 18 of those hits being doubles. He had just 21 doubles all of 2022 so something seems to be going right for Grichuk so far. He currently carries a .837 OPS, 116 OPS+, and a .360 wOBA.

That's a player that fits in well on a Braves team that makes a lot of contact and gets a lot of extra-base hits. Definitely an intriguing trade for the front office to consider making especially with the Rockies being so bad this season.

3. Michael Conforto - San Francisco Giants

Michael Conforto was a player I'd wanted the Braves to explore in the off-season as he's a decent defender and had shown some success at the plate. He missed all of 2022 due to needing shoulder surgery so he got off to a very slow start in 2023.

However, he is getting back on track now as he's batting .240/.331/.415 through 81 games. He's hit 13 home runs and driven in 49 runs with 35 walks and 76 strikeouts. His contract is a little on the expensive side so that could complicate things. Conforto carries a .330 wOBA and his hard hit percentage of 42.7% isn't too shabby as well.

San Francisco is also just 2 games back of the Dodgers in the NL West and they lead in the NL Wild Card standings by a half of a game. I doubt they'd be looking to give away an important aspect but they could look to shed some money as they have two lefties between him and Joc Pederson.

Conforto was hit by a pitch recently and had to come out of the game but the team didn't require X-rays so he is likely doing just fine. That would be something the Braves would need to consider if they went after the lefty.

4. Cody Bellinger - Chicago Cubs

A name I'm sure not many expected to be on this list but Bellinger would be a great addition for the Atlanta Braves outfield. He signed a $12 million dollar deal for 2023 with a mutual option for 2024 many expect he will turn down his side of that option to pursue a bigger deal. So, this would be a rental option for the Braves.

However, despite his early struggles to start the season, Bellinger is putting up a great season through 61 games played so far. He missed about a month of time from May 16th-June 15th due to a knee injury after landing awkwardly after an outstanding catch against the Astros.

His average on the season currently sits at .305/.360/.524 with a .884 OPS including 12 HR, 35 RBI, 21 BB, 46 K. His wRC+ is at 136 and sits at a 2.4 WAR currently.

The Cubs were one of the worst teams to start the season and to be honest, most of the NL Central has been subpar this season. However, they find themselves 8.5 games out of first in their division and the wild card lead. So, they have a shot at the playoffs but they'd need to go on a big run to make it happen.

Bellinger would be a fun addition to this Atlanta team and definitely enjoy hitting some homers into the Chop House seats in right field at Truist Park.

5. Lane Thomas - Washington Nationals

Thomas has been a great acquisition for the Nationals when they traded away Jon Lester to the Cardinals in 2021. He is having a career year currently and with the Nats being one of the worst in baseball, it would make sense to move him while his value is high.

He's been a really good hitter despite being on such a terrible team this year. He's batting .299/.348/.490 through 92 games played. He has a wRC+ of 125, a 2.1 WAR, a .373 BABIP, and a .360 wOBA.

Thomas has been absolutely incredible against LHP in 2023 as he is batting .374 with a 1.076 OPS versus .264 with a .729 OPS against RHP. He'd be a great option for the Braves and is a decent fielder as well.

The Nats outfielder is also eligible for arbitration for the next two seasons and that's an attractive option for any team. I'm sure that would likely make the asking price a little uncomfortable for teams but with the Nats out of contention, I'm sure a deal could be made so they can continue their rebuild.

Similarly to Grichuk and the Rockies, the Nats would be foolish to not try and move Thomas while his value is at its highest point it's ever been.

As you see, there are some attractive options out there for the Braves but the likelihood of them ending up in Atlanta depends on the health of the current outfield and if the right deal is there. AA is known for not pulling the trigger on a deal if he doesn't feel good about it. So, time will tell if these trades ever come to fruition at the end of the day.

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