The Braves are off to a great start, and the team they were often compared to years ago on the Southside of Chicago are having a nightmare of a season. The White Sox may be looking to hit the reset button, and the Braves are probably going to be buyers at the trade deadline. With a ton of injuries and instability at key positions, these two seem like a perfect match to make some sort of a deal. If you recall, the Braves were hot on Jose Quintana‘s trail a few years ago, and thankfully, that move never came to fruition. Let’s take a look at some guys in Chicago the Braves could be calling about in July, especially after getting some new trade chips in the 2023 MLB Draft:
Starters
RHP Dylan Cease
RHP Lucas Giolito
Cease had sky-high expectations, Cy Young level expectations, coming into 2023. He hasn’t had a great season, much like a lot of the guys on this list. After a red-hot start, the Milton, GA native has gotten blown up a few times and hasn’t made it to the fifth inning since April 16th. Still, he’s one of the most talented pitchers in baseball and has incredible strikeout potential. The Braves would essentially be getting another Spencer Strider-lite — mustache and all.
Giolito was in danger of being out of the league going into 2019 after giving up the most earned runs and walks in baseball. He found something out and has even placed in the top ten for Cy Young voting a few times. Giolito is having a decent season, his numbers are mostly inflated by one bad start against the Pirates in his second outing of the season. He would be a rock-solid anchor to a rotation that needs some reliability, and Giolito hasn’t pitched less than 161 innings (excluding the COVID year) since 2017. He would be a rental, so the Braves need to be sure he’s going to be effective leading up to the trade deadline.
Bullpen
RHP Kendall Graveman
RHP Kenyan Middleton
RHP Gregory Santos
LHP Aaron Bummer
LHP Garrett Crochet
The White Sox have had a lot of bullpen trouble, but there’s some potential here. Graveman and Bummer are seasoned vets with proven track records, and their tough starts aren’t super concerning to me. Graveman has one year and $8 million left on his deal, so he’ll likely need to improve his level of play before anyone commits to trading a premium for him.
Bummer will make $5.5 million next year with two club options worth $7.25 million leading up to his free agency in 2027, so he’s in the same boat.
Middleton would be a rental, but he’s pitching well right now. Santos is pre-arbitration, and a guy Chicago would probably like to hold onto.
Garrett Crochet is the wild card here. The 11th overall pick in the 2020 draft was promoted to the bigs in the same year he was drafted, and for good reason. He features a really hard, solid fastball that hitters haven’t figured out yet. He missed all of 2022 with Tommy John Surgery and just started his rehab assignment, so I’ll have my eye on him as he ramps up in 2023. I’d be willing to pay a pretty penny if he’s the same guy he was pre-injury.
Bats
1B/OF Andrew Vaughn
SS Tim Anderson
LF/DH Eloy Jiménez
Grandal’s contract was pretty awful, but it’s expiring this year, and he would make for a decent switch-hitting option at catcher if Travis d’Arnaud or Sean Murphy gets injured. He shouldn’t cost too much, and he’s hitting pretty well for a catcher in 2023.
Andrew Vaughn hasn’t reached arbitration, but he hasn’t been what the White Sox expected when they took him with the third overall pick in 2019. He’s still a decent player, but he’s 25 and the White Sox have been rumored to want to move him. I don’t know where he fits, but he plays a lot of positions and could be a DH if the Braves unlock his swing.
Tim Anderson would be the real prize here. Orlando Arcia has been really good in a small sample size, but he’s still recovering from injury. Vaughn Grissom has a nice bat, but he has provided mostly singles and offers next to nothing defensively. Anderson fits this Braves team in terms of his demeanor and attitude, and I think he’s a fantastic trade target if Arcia isn’t the same guy post-injury.
Yoán Moncada is a former top prospect in all of baseball, and he’s had a decent career. He’s hitting well in 2023 and has some positional versatility. I’ve wanted Benintendi forever, and he would be a great option in left field if the Braves don’t get more production out of the spot. Eloy Jiménez probably isn’t available, but he could be another Jorge Soler in this Braves lineup for the right price.
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Photographer: Quinn Harris/Icon Sportswire
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