Braves have 'long liked' Nationals outfielder with deadline deal making sense

The Atlanta Braves are thinner in the outfield thanks to the injury to superstar Ronald Acuña Jr. but that could change in the near future.

The trade deadline is less than a week away and the Braves will be looking to add. Atlanta may not swing a franchise-altering blockbuster trade, but they could look to add more depth as they look to make it back to the playoffs.

One player the club has "long liked" and could make sense as a trade deadline target is Washington Nationals outfielder Lane Thomas, according to ESPN's Jeff Passan.

"On Monday, the day he signed with Atlanta, Whit Merrifield got hurt during warmups," Passan said. "Nevertheless, the Braves find themselves atop the National League Wild Card table, and they've still got the sort of pitching and lineup depth to scare even Philadelphia (which has knocked favored Atlanta out of two consecutive postseasons). So, yeah, even if president of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos is shooting more for singles and doubles than home runs, the Braves are primed to add an outfield bat -- they've long liked Washington's Lane Thomas -- and hope a repeat of their injury-pocked 2021 championship is in the cards."

Thomas is a six-year big league veteran and has eight home runs, 39 RBIs, and 26 stolen bases this season. The Braves likely will be looking to add over the next week and Thomas could be the type of player to add some much-needed outfield depth without breaking the bank.

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