The Braves have reached a point in time where they are going to start dealing out prospects to get major league help and with the trade deadline fast approaching, it would be wise to start looking at which prospects we could see involved in some trades. While no prospect is truly off the table in any way, guys like Cristian Pache are seen as nearly unmovable assets that would have to draw a tremendous return to move the needle. For the majority of players, however, this is not the case and some players are more likely to move that others for various reasons. Some players in the system are blocked by better players, some will be eligible for the Rule 5 draft, and others are in a position that lacks scarcity in the system making them more open to being moved.

Here are some prospects that we COULD see moved in the right deals at the trade deadline (this is not the same as these guys SHOULD be moved).

Travis Demeritte is the poster child for selling high as he’s having a real break out season at Triple-A, but it’s not entirely certain the Braves can use him to the fullest in Atlanta. While having that bat off the bench would be valuable to the Braves, he could have the potential to provide even more value to another franchise. This is a relatively easy player to put on the block and there will be teams who have interest in him especially if he is still able to play in the middle infield. The only surprise for me is that the Braves haven’t been giving him playing time in the infield down in Gwinnett, which would be a way to help increase his stock on the trade market and may indicate that they’re more committed to keeping him around. Hitters are generally more valuable in trades than pitchers are, and that goes double for players with power. Demeritte certainly isn’t going to be a centerpiece in any major trades, but it should be expected that many teams would target him as a complimentary piece. His Rule 5 eligibility and his ability to contribute to a team now complicates things a bit as a team who is expecting to rebuild might not be looking for a player with his timetable, but teams like the Giants who are more apt to reload than rebuild could look at him as an asset.

Thomas Burrows

Burrows is not going to be a huge piece in any deal, but he’s going to be Rule 5 eligible in the upcoming draft and with relief pitchers being common targets in the Rule 5 draft, the Braves may need to look at finding a place for him. Burrows has struggled in Triple-A and that has certainly made a dent in his evaluation, but a team looking to deal a middle reliever would see him as a return on investment. Burrows won’t draw a return on his own but would be a decent fringe piece in a larger deal.

CJ Alexander

There was a time over this offseason during which the progress of Alexander had many wondering if Austin Riley would be expendable in trades, but following Riley’s explosion this season the script has been flipped. Had an early season injury not taken most of this season away from Alexander, we would be talking more seriously about him in terms of potential trade value. However, that value took a major hit simply because he couldn’t play and prove himself, and the more he struggles at High-A the more likely it is he’ll stay. The Braves won’t want to deal Alexander because it’s definitely a sell low situation, but if he comes up in talks he’s definitely a player they shouldn’t hesitate to move. Alexander is a player with real potential and there are many teams who would want a player like him especially now that he’s showing he can hit professionally. Regardless of the deal, any exchange that includes Alexander would have to feel like a win for the organization that was able to get CJ all the way in the 20th round.

Justin Dean

Justin Dean’s value seems a bit hard to place and overall Braves fans are probably going to overestimate it a bit, but he does have some draw for other teams and there’s really no major reason the Braves would be too attached him quite. A few years ago, the narrative around Dean would have been different, but with the emphasis moving away from speedy players, the holes in Dean’s game would be more scrutinized in any trade. That said, Dean has legitimate power in his swing and that will only play up once he reaches Triple-A, he can defend in center field, the speed will still provide value on the base paths, and he can get on base consistently with a good eye and plate discipline. His swing and miss and age will give teams pause, but there’s reason to believe he could be desired in a trade.

The Braves definitely see Weigel as an asset they would like to hold on to and that shows in their decision to put him on the 40 man roster to begin with, but that doesn’t mean he couldn’t be a valuable asset to a team looking to trade for him. The Braves have taken things slow with Weigel and teams will definitely be concerned with his medicals, but now that the pure stuff has started to return for Weigel his value is going to start to creep up. The Braves probably won’t have a spot for him as a starter at this moment in time, so any team that projects him to be a starter long term will have a reason to see him as a good value pickup. Weigel could be the type of player that is a key piece in the trade for relief help and though his Tommy John surgery and his spot on the 40-man roster will complicate things for anyone trying to pick him up, his proximity to the major leagues will make him a safer pickup with a higher ceiling than other pitchers these teams may look at.

The split opinions on Bryse Wilson’s future makes his evaluation process difficult, but any team looking to pick up a young pitcher has to be interested in a player like Wilson. While his numbers in the upper levels have not been fantastic, Wilson has always been one of the youngest players at every level and that will have to put a perspective on some of his performances. If the Braves see him as a reliever long term, he is a player they could try to move while they feel his value is higher to other teams. Given their commitment to having him as sort of their sixth starter right now, it seems plausible to assume their long term evaluations still see him as a starter which changes the calculations a bit. With pitching being deep in the Braves system, he is in an expendable position and could draw a valuable return if the Braves chose to part ways with him.

Jonathan Morales

Morales is not going to be a piece that commands any significant return, but he will be Rule 5 eligible after this season so the Braves could look to get something out of him. It’s unclear how much value Morales could have in the Rule 5 draft, but with him putting up career high walk rates and never being one to strike out much, a team could see a reason to take a chance on the bat. Morales’s modest power production gives him little projectability for any team, but he has already seen the Triple-A uptick in power so he won’t be completely discounted there. Morales has a decent chance to be a major league backup, and that could make him a potential throw-in to a bigger trade.

Joey Wentz

Joey Wentz is probably not the player the Braves will trade if they want to get maximum value for their assets but with his resurgence over the last few starts, his value is on the rise and he would be a tempting piece for any team to take on in a trade. Wentz’s history of health issues will probably make most teams shy away from him, but there’s no doubting his talent and with the uptick in velocity he has shown he is an intriguing prospect. Over Wentz’s last five starts, he has struck out 41 batters in 29 1⁄3 innings pitched and posted a 2.15 ERA, so there is an argument to be made that his value is drifting towards his high point. With the number of pitchers ahead of him in the system, including several of his rotation mates in Mississippi, there will be both a market for Wentz and a reason to be comfortable moving him to help the major league team now.

Ian Anderson

I am going to catch some heat for this one, but bear with me while I justify having Anderson here. If the Braves want to make a big splash in the trade market, they are going to have to part with one of their elite prospects to make it happen. This isn’t talking about a rental for an average pitcher or bullpen help, but a controllable player who can make an impact on the team going forward. By all indications Cristian Pache is not on the table in this situation, and it’s unlikely Drew Waters would be either, which leaves Anderson as the most expendable of their top three prospects. It would be a tough sell for them to part with Anderson, but with the amount of depth at the upper minor leagues it would be worth it if they can come out of the trade with a player that can contribute in 2019 and going forward. The nature of the game is that teams have to part with good players to get good players and in this situation Anderson would be the easiest pill for the organization to swallow while also providing a high value on the trade market.

Jasseel De La Cruz

If any player in the system qualifies as a sell high candidate, it would be Jasseel De La Cruz as he has exploded onto the scene this season and increased his stock more than any other player in the system. What’s more is that he would be Rule 5 eligible this winter, though the Braves would have no hesitation to protect him if he does stick around. De La Cruz could be a legitimate centerpiece in trading for bullpen help because his combination of a high ceiling and decently high floor makes him a valuable addition for an organization. The biggest difficulty to trading De La Cruz could just be finding another team that thinks as highly of him as the Braves do, but with the number of players blocking him, his potential value on the market, and the future 40 man spot that comes with him there may not be a more tradeable asset in the Braves system.