The reigning World Series champions, Atlanta Braves, have a bit of a championship hangover. Despite boasting one of the highest payrolls in Major League Baseball, they haven't been the same explosive team they were after last season's All-Star break.
But then again, it's still early in the season, and fans shouldn't sound off the alarms yet, especially given how hot they got in the final stretch of last campaign.
Will The Braves Make A Move?
So, the question isn't so much whether the Braves will make a move as to when will they make it. They may be reluctant to trade away any of their top prospects after the Matt Olson trade, but they still have some interesting pieces to pull the trigger.
With that in mind, Braves insider Kevin Henry proposed three potential trade candidates for them to consider and try to catch the Mets.
Kevin Kiermaier
Kevin Kiermaier has been a trade candidate since the start of the season. While not an elite slugger, he's a solid defender who can cover multiple outfield positions, one of the Braves' biggest needs given Marcell Ozuna's slump:
"Braves fans can expect Kevin Kiermaier’s name to pop up again as the trade deadline approaches," Henry wrote. "The Tampa Bay Rays center fielder is in the final year of a contract before a $ 13 million club option kicks in next season and it’s likely that, if the right offer is presented, he could be on the move before the Rays would have to pay that money."Andrew Benintendi
Andrew Benintendi's contract has plenty of value right now. He's outplaying his deal, and Benintendi should gauge a lot of interest in the trade market, as the Kansas City Royals won't compete any time soon and would instead get more assets in return for him:
"His play in left field last season earned him a Gold Glove and he would provide an offensive and defensive improvement over what Marcell Ozuna has done early in the season, whether that is what Ozuna has produced while playing left field or serving as the team’s designated hitter," Henry wrote.Trey Mancini
The Baltimore Orioles are and will continue to be bottom-feeders for the time being. But Trey Mancini continues to produce at a solid level and is on a team-friendly deal. His versatility should make him a prime target for the Braves.
"If the Braves were to make a trade with the Baltimore Orioles for first baseman/outfielder Trey Mancini, Atlanta would not only have a solid backup for Matt Olson at first base (where Mancini has played in 14 games in 2022), but also help in the outfield (Mancini has played five games in right field and one in left this season) and at the DH (where Mancini has batted in 23 games this year)," Henry added. ]]>The Inquisitr
