As soon as Ronald Acuna Jr. went down with a season-ending knee injury, everyone has been wondering what the Atlanta Braves have up their sleeves. So far, every indication has been that the Braves are happy to give Jarred Kelenic and Adam Duvall all the plate appearances in the corner outfield spots with Michael Harris II remaining in center and that they don't feel like they have to make a move.
That said, that hasn't stopped people from TRYING to conjure potential moves out of thin air. If there is a team thought to be sellers ahead of the trade deadline that has a bat even remotely available, Atlanta has been mentioned as a landing spot. It is a tale as old as time: high profile team loses big name, so they should go after another big name.
One such trade idea was floated by MLB insider Jon Heyman over the weekend. While running down a lot of the early trade deadline chatter, he mentioned the Braves as a fit for George Springer if Toronto decides to sell.
Braves Rumors: Could Atlanta swing a big trade for George Springer?
Springer isn't completely uninteresting as a trade deadline option if one of Kelenic or Duvall ends up not being up to the task over the next month. Springer is widely considered to be available at the deadline and if Toronto actually willing to eat most of his salary to get a deal done, he could be a low cost guy who was among the game's elite outfielders not that long ago.
The Braves' front office would have to be convinced that his struggles with injuries the last few years as well as his offensive ineptitude to start the season can be fixed, but there is no denying Springer's raw talent and previous track record. If Springer can even approach being the guy that made four All-Star teams fairly recently and Atlanta doesn't have to screw their payroll up to land him, they could do a lot worse.
A name like Springer would also fit the rumor that Alex Anthopoulos is checking in on a "big name" ahead of the trade deadline that he himself revealed in a recent interview. It may be a smarter bet for the Braves to be targeting pitching even with Acuna Jr. out, but one cannot make any assumptions with this front office that seem to pull moves out of nowhere.