No one has had as much success trading for outfielders at the deadline quite like Alex Anthopoulos and the Atlanta Braves. In 2024, they could be at it again.
After acquiring four veteran outfielders en route to a World Series title in 2021, the Braves are faced with a similar dilemma this year. Ronald Acuña Jr., the 2023 National League MVP, is once again out for the season.
The Braves haven't had a consistent right fielder since Acuña's injury, and have already started bringing in veterans to try to plug the hole, claiming Ramón Laureano and Eddie Rosario off waivers. But those are stopgaps, and Anthopoulos is likely to pursue a more permanent solution.
One former big-leaguer, now a podcast personality, believes he has the solution. Trevor Plouffe, a host of the Talkin' Baseball podcast, predicted on Wednesday that the Braves will land the Miami Marlins' Jazz Chisholm Jr. at this year's trade deadline.
"Jazz is getting traded, (and) they are going to make a move for an outfielder," Plouffe said. "Give me Jazz Chisholm to the Braves."
The deal makes a lot of sense based on both teams' current trajectories. The Marlins are entering a long and painful rebuild, having already traded All-Star Luis Arraez. But the Braves expect to contend every season, and Chisholm has two more years of team control after 2024.
Chisholm, 26, is one of the game's most polarizing players. He has both power and speed and made an All-Star team in 2024. But he's had off-field scuffles with teammates and hasn't always been a consistent hitter, in addition to missing significant time due to injuries.
It's hard to produce for a team like the Marlins, who have famously lacked offense for the past half-decade. It's easy to envision Chisholm improving with a better lineup around him, which Plouffe's Talkin' Baseball co-host Jake Storiale also echoed.
"Give me Jazz on a really good team. I'd love to see it," Storiale said. "I think there's a little more in there."
If Chisholm is indeed moved at the deadline, the Marlins are certain to have many suitors. If they're willing to move him to a division rival, the Braves could land themselves a potential game-changer.
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