Nationals All-Star surprisingly linked to Braves; should Atlanta prepare offer?

The Atlanta Braves could be on the verge of adding outfield depth to their roster before the deadline.

At 47-38, Atlanta leads the National League Wild Card race entering Friday and has every reason to believe it can contend for a World Series championship this season.

The Braves have a boatload of talent, even after losing Ronald Acuña Jr. for the year. As July 30 approaches, Atlanta is looking to surround that talent with a piece or two to ensure that the Braves are a well-oiled machine come September.

Atlanta is looking to add a starting pitcher, as has been reported, but the Braves are also in the market for reinforcements on offense.

One name that has surprisingly come up in connection to Atlanta is Jesse Winker of the Washington Nationals.  In a July 5 report , MLB.com's executive reporter Mark Feinsand listed the Braves and Twins as potential fits for Winker, who was an All-Star in 2021 for the Cincinnati Reds.

"The recent promotion of top prospect James Wood could mean the end of Winker’s time in Washington, whether the Nationals become big sellers or not," Feinsand said. "The 30-year-old is having a solid season (nine homers, 38 RBIs, .787 OPS in 83 games), and his excellent June (.304/.421/.430) could give the Nats a trade chip to use to either improve this year’s club or bring in a prospect or two. Winker is earning $2 million this year and will be a free agent after the season."

Winker appears to be heating up at the plate, and a trade to a contender would likely galvanize him into further production.

Atlanta will be juggling a handful of possible transactions in the next few weeks. Will Winker factor into the Braves' ultimate plan?

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