The Atlanta Braves' shortstop situation has taken a turn for the worse in 2024. After shocking basically everyone in 2023 spring training by winning the starting job outright, Arcia was one of the team's biggest success stories last year with a .264/.321/.420 line with 17 homers while playing excellent defense at short. Even at the start of this season, Arcia had the Braves looking smart from moving on from Dansby Swanson.
Unfortunately, the shine of Arcia's All-Star campaign wore off in a hurry this season. The defense has still been mostly good, but Arcia's bat has completely cratered in 2024 leading some to wonder if Atlanta needs to make a change at the position before too long. All of a sudden, the Braves look like they could need a new shortstop AND an outfielder here soon with Michael Harris II still out and Ronald Acuna Jr. done for the season.
Most of the attention regarding the Braves' trade deadline plans has revolved around getting an outfield bat, one name that recently popped up as available on the trade market is the Marlins' Jazz Chisholm Jr. While the Marlins may be willing to trade Chisholm and he is a very recognizable name, the Braves trading for him would be a mistake.
Jazz Chisholm wouldn't be the upgrade the Braves need
On the surface, Chisholm Jr. may appear to be the perfect trade target for the Braves. He has played exclusively in the outfield the last two seasons, he does have experience in the infield which could, in theory, get Arcia off the field against tough righties and reduce the team's reliance on Adam Duvall in the outfield. He has also openly flirted with the idea of being a Brave in the past, so he would probably welcome a move to Atlanta if one came to pass.
However, Chisholm Jr. isn't nearly as good as his name recognition would suggest. Despite his immense raw talent, his actual production has been very mediocre as he posted a .761 OPS in 2023 followed by a .733 mark this year with some not-so-great peripheral stats as well. Not terrible, but not great. He was also a terrible defensive shortstop in Miami which is why he got moved to the outfield in the first place. Between the Braves calling on old friend Eddie Rosario and having some better options on the outfield trade market, the case for Chisholm is already pretty shaky.
Complicating matters is that Chisholm Jr. has had a lot of trouble staying healthy. He has never played more than 124 games in a season (2021) and averaged 78 games a season in the last two years as he dealt with back, toe, hamstring, and oblique injuries among other issues. With the Braves needing a bat that they can rely on, Chisholm Jr. is anything but that especially given that he doesn't exactly have the best reputation around the league when it comes to his personality.
Finally, we come to the cost to acquire him which is likely to be substantial. Not only is Chisholm Jr. a "big name" and under team control through the 2026 season, but he also plays in the NL East. While trades within the division DO happen sometimes, they generally don't get to the finish line as sellers don't want to send players to a rival without getting a king's ransom.
Would the Braves trading for Chisholm Jr. be a fun story with big upside? Absolutely, but all the evidence points to it being a bad idea anyway and Atlanta should be looking at other options.