Analyst Names Ideal Trade Target for Atlanta Braves

As the Atlanta Braves enter the summer and the trade deadline approaches, who would be the ideal candidate for them in a trade?

Despite some major obstacles, the Atlanta Braves have had a good start to their season this year. Few teams could get above .500 after losing their best position player and best pitcher all season, but it shows the talent and depth the Braves have.

Even though the Braves are well above .500, they still look down on the Philadelphia Phillies in the standings. Although there is still plenty of baseball left to be played, the Phillies once again look like a true contender this season.

Recently, ESPN’s Jeff Passan talked about who would be an ideal target for a trade with the Atlanta Braves. Here’s what he had to say.

Weakness: Outfield

Best Match: Lane Thomas

Ronald Acuna Jr.’s season-ending ACL tear left the Braves with the same dilemma they faced in 2021: How to replace the superstar outfielder? The answer was no. President of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos took the group approach that year, dealing Jorge Soler, Eddie Rosario, Joc Pederson and Adam Duvall, and ended up winning a World Series. Thomas, Washington’s 28-year-old right fielder, is the all-in-one solution this season. While it would be painful for Washington to send Thomas to a team that is just six games behind in its division, he will become a free agent after next season. Atlanta could either keep him as an insurance policy for Acuna or move him again this winter.

With a high-performing starting rotation without Spencer Strider, the Atlanta Braves offense needs a boost. Losing Acuna is a big deal because he’s one of the best hitters in baseball and an MVP candidate when he’s on the field.

Adding Thomas would give the Atlanta Braves an outfielder who has pop and can steal bases like Acuna did. While Thomas isn’t the same caliber of player as Acuna, he would be a nice upgrade.