All the important Atlanta Braves news having to do with Travis d'Arnaud, Adam Duvall and Shohei Ohtani is right here for you to enjoy on the absolutely finest of Sunday afternoons.
So much news is popping off about the Atlanta Braves, whether that be Travis d'Arnaud on the trading block, Adam Duvall potentially interested in coming back to The ATL and what to make of Shohei Ohtani's impending free agency.
In truth, the only thing that matters today is taking two-of-three from the surprisingly really awesome Cincinnati Reds. They haven't been this good since Joey Votto won MVP or when Barry Larkin was still very much in his hall-of-fame prime. Either way, the Braves are still the team to beat in the National League right now, but we are so far away from getting into October baseball.
Whether it be silly d'Arnaud trade talks, Duvall's love for The ATL or Ohtani's highly-unlikely offseason arrival, we've got you scattered, smothered and covered when it comes to the Braves!
Atlanta Braves rumors: What if Shohei Ohtani wanted to play for a great team?
For as fricking sweet as it would be to see Ohtani in a Braves uniform, there are so many reasons why this is not happening at all. We are more likely to see the 2023 Atlanta Falcons win the Super Bowl than for Ohtani to play For The A. He may want to win more than anything in the world, but for financial and Liberty Media reasons, Ohtani is so going to play for somebody else next season.
Yes, he could return to the Los Angeles Angels, but not even he and Mike Trout can make the Halos all that interesting, or all that competitive. The average annual value he would garner on his next contract after hitting the open market would be too much for Liberty Media's liking. It is why he will end up playing for Mickey Mouse championships in L.A. or not win the NL East in New York.
Although it would be so unbelievably horrible for a player we all kind of love in Ohtani to join either the Los Angeles Dodgers or the New York Mets, just prepare yourself for that to be next season's reality. While Alex Anthopoulos may give Ohtani an offer to come play for the Braves, it will not be anything close to what he will command on the open market. To the highest bidder Ohtani will go!
Unless his desire to win is greater than alienating the entire MLBPA, Ohtani is not going to Atlanta.
Atlanta Braves rumors: Adam Duvall still loves his time in The ATL
Adam Duvall may be playing for the Boston Red Sox now, but he will always have a place in the heart of Braves Country. After being a power hitter earlier in his career with the Cincinnati Reds, Duvall reinvented himself as a clutch playmaker in the outfield for Atlanta, whether that be with his bat or his glove. Two years removed from winning it all, Duvall still loves his time in The ATL.
Here is Duvall speaking with Robert Murray and Adam Weinrib over on The Baseball Insiders.
Duvall played for the Braves from 2018 to 2020 before signing with the Miami Marlins in his free agency in 2021. He will always be remembered for being one of the four outfielders Atlanta general manager Alex Anthopoulos traded for heading into the deadline. His greatest play was a grand slam in the World Series, albeit in a game where the Braves blew it at home to Houston.
The big takeaway Duvall had from his time in Atlanta was how unselfish his teammates were. The entire clubhouse was pulling the same direction. He might play for Boston now, but Duvall was absolutely a huge part in the cultural turnaround in Atlanta under skipper Brian Snitker's leadership. Although he is in his mid-30s, there's always a chance Duvall could come back to the A.
Keep in mind Duvall won a Gold Glove and led the NL in runs batted in during the 2021 campaign.
Atlanta Braves rumors: Let's just stop with the Travis d'Arnaud trade talk!
I feel like I'm taking crazy pills. This isn't happening. I could be proven wrong in the weeks to come, but I think Alex Anthopoulos is better at his job than we are at ours. So why would the Braves trade backup backstop Travis d'Arnaud? They won't because they are not stupid! With Sean Murphy just now getting back into the lineup after a hamstring injury, let's not jinx this thing, y'all!
Baseball is a marathon, not a sprint. Even if Murphy is better defensively behind the plate than d'Arnaud, so what? He is a tremendous leader in the clubhouse, calls great games and has been an exceptional hitter since coming over to Atlanta in 2020. Although his days with the Braves seem to be numbered for Murphy reasons, why screw up something that is clearly working well right now?
Like, I don't care if another team really needs another catcher. That's their problem, and good luck with that. For a team that has serious World Series aspirations, you don't want to mess up the plan in place just because you are experiencing FOMO at the trade deadline. I trust Anthopoulos to make the right decisions for the ball club in the next month and change, but don't trade d'Arnaud…
To be honest, the only way I would be okay with trading d'Arnaud is if it landed us Shohei Ohtani.
