Thankfully, the Braves don’t have many glaring holes ahead of the trade deadline. The offense is the best in baseball, and their pitching staff has been equally as impressive, even before the trades they made today to bolster the bullpen.Â
However, teams can always get better, and it’s never wise to stand pat in the middle of a championship window. The Braves have some room for improvement, even if it is small. An issue they may run into, though, is that they don’t have many trade chips, given their weak farm system.
If there’s one guy that could be moved with little hesitation, it’s Vaughn Grissom. The 22-year-old shortstop had a forgetful stint in the majors this season, but he still holds some value around the league because of his youth and success on the farm. Which is why Bleacher Report suggested the Braves trade Grissom at the deadline for Michael Kopech of the White Sox.
Vaughn Grissom seemed to come out of nowhere last year, hitting .347 through his first 26 games before running out of steam. Even still, he entered 2023 as the favorite to take over for Dansby Swanson at shortstop.
So much for that. Orlando Arcia took the job and ran with it so well that he was selected to start for the National League in the All-Star Game. And with him at short and Ozzie Albies at second base, Grissom has no daylight for playing time in Atlanta.
Like Huff, though, he’s fighting the good fight down in the minors. Through 70 games with Triple-A Gwinnett, he’s hitting .318 with 24 doubles and 11 stolen bases in 13 tries.
Trade Proposal: Chicago White Sox get 2B/SS Vaughn Grissom, Atlanta gets RHP Michael Kopech
Shortstop is actually the biggest problem on the infield for the White Sox this year, but at least they can hope for a rebound from Tim Anderson in 2024. No such hope exists at second base.
A trade for Grissom would fix that, and this deal would see Atlanta get a wild, yet electric pitcher in return. Even if they couldn’t succeed where the White Sox have failed in molding Kopech into a viable starter, one can still imagine him as an ace multi-inning reliever.
I’m for trading Vaughn Grissom at the trade deadline; not because I think he’s incapable of becoming a valuable major-league starter, but because he doesn’t fit in the Braves’ future plans. Arcia has done enough to earn the starting job at shortstop next season, and even if he didn’t, I don’t think Grissom can play shortstop at the major-league level. He’s going to have to switch positions, and the Braves don’t have an opening anywhere else. The writing seems to be on the wall for him in Atlanta, and Kopech would be an intriguing haul.
The former first-round pick is having a so-so year, posting a 4.29 ERA over 18 starts. His control is his biggest concern, but the White Sox haven’t exactly been great at developing any of their young talent. A change of scenery could do him wonders, and at worst, the Braves can use him as a reliever, where he has been at his best over his career. That gives him a relatively high floor, and he also comes with some upside and several years of control. I usually don’t like Bleacher Report’s hypotheticals in any sport, but this is something I can get behind.
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Photo: David J. Griffin/Icon Sportswire
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