2 Trade for an outfielder

If signing a big-ticket free-agent outfielder doesn’t come together, trading for one is the next the best option. Yasiel Puig has already gotten moved this winter, and unless the Reds would trade him for Inciarte, that doesn’t appear to be an option any longer. There are several more names on the board that the Braves could go after in trade that would vary in terms of the prospect cost.

We know the Braves talked to the Mariners about Mitch Haniger and the Diamondbacks about David Peralta during the Winter Meetings and the asking price for both turned the Braves away. Nick Castellanos is another name we’ve seen tied to the Braves a lot this winter and one that I think is an extremely good fit.

Other possible options include Corey Dickerson from the Pirates and a member of the Rangers crowded outfield.

It’s been stated that the Pirates may not be all that interested in paying Dickerson’s expected arbitration cost this year and would be a player that could fit into the Braves lineup in many different spots for just under $9 million. Dickerson has continued to put up good offensive numbers even after moving out of Coors Field, and he’s done so in parks generally considered pitcher parks. Dickerson has also worked to turn himself into a pretty decent left fielder. In fact, he won a Gold Glove last year, and while that doesn’t mean he’s an excellent defender—Nick Markakis won a gold glove, after all—it does show that he’s not going to hurt you out there.

The Rangers have a number of outfielders that could be available that all bring different things to the table. Joey Gallo is the most intriguing as he would bring a ton of power to a park that favors left-handed hitters. Nomar Mazara slots in behind him. Mazara to this point in his career is a bit of a prospect bust, but he is still a 23-year-old kid that has been mostly a league average bat in his first three seasons. With Mazara, you’d be paying for his potential and hope his game matures at the same time the rest of the Braves young core would progress. On the other end of the spectrum, you have the old guy in Shin-Soo Choo. Choo is still owed a lot of money for two more seasons, so he should come fairly cheap and may also be a candidate that would allow the Braves to pawn Julio Teheran off on another team. I’m not sure how well Choo can hold up playing in the outfield almost every day, but he’s an on-base machine that the Braves could slot into the top the lineup. This would allow the Braves to move Acuña to the cleanup spot—not something I’m advocating, but it seems something that Snitker wants to do—because they would have a .360-.370 OBP in the leadoff spot.

The Padres have been all over the place this winter. They seem to be involved in everything right now, but I think the Braves should at least check in to see how committed they are to playing Wil Myers at third base. Other trade options may pop on the radar when some of the free-agent outfielders sign. If Harper goes to the Cubs, someone like Kyle Schwarber could become available and that’s a bat the Braves should jump on with reckless abandon.