The trade deadline is months away, but Braves general manager Alex Anthopoulos already has his ear to the ground.
Acquiring talented players generally requires prospects with high potential going back the other way. It's the way such trades have been made for over a century. The 2023 MLB Trade Deadline will be no exception, especially in the ATL.
The Braves may be the most complete team in the National League — and all of baseball outside of Tampa Bay. They have the second-best record in the sport for a reason, a stacked lineup and a rotation getting healthy at the right time.
Still, every team needs upgrades, and the Braves could use one in left field and likely the bullpen when all is said and done. Anthopoulos will make a move or two, even if they are small ones. But let's play devil's advocate.
Let's say, for example, the Braves wanted to trade for White Sox ace Dylan Cease, or one of Brandon Woodruff or Corbin Burnes from the Milwaukee Brewers. For the right price, all three of those players should be available, along with any number of back-end bullpen arms for the stretch run.
So with that in mind, exactly which prospects should Atlanta consider moving?
Braves rumors: Vaughn Grissom is a trade asset
Atlanta may have hurt Vaughn Grissom's trade value with several short-term promotions followed by quick demotions due to his shoddy defense, but he's still one of the better young bats in their system. While no longer technically a prospect, Grissom is a position-less wonder at the moment.
He's taken reps at shortstop and second base, plus there's been some talk of moving him to the outfield. The Braves believe in his bat, but it's his defensive ability which is keeping Grissom from receiving regular playing time right now. As a young player, routine errors often impact his confidence at the plate, which is why he was recently sent back down to Triple-A Gwinnett in favor of another young shortstop, Braden Shewmake. For now, Grissom is losing that battle, with Orlando Arcia taking the starting reps in Atlanta.
Grissom could fetch a nice return if paired with the right prospects. Atlanta doesn't have much talent in terms of top-100 prospects per MLB Pipeline, and given their farm system is rather barren at the moment, they probably don't want to trade those guys if they can avoid it. Grissom would serve as a nice work-around.
Braves rumors: Should Atlanta trade Jared Shuster?
Jared Shuster is the top prospect in the Atlanta Braves farm system for a reason. He's an elite left-handed pitching prospect on the precipice of being a regular in the major-league rotation.
Shuster started this season in the big leagues after an impressive spring training and a series of injuries to the Braves rotation, including Kyle Wright and Max Fried. However, he made just two starts and registered an ERA over eight. Shuster struggled to find the strike zone and was quickly figured out by major-league hitters. Since his return to Triple-A Gwinnett, Shuster has looked more like his old self, even throwing six no-hit innings on Sunday.
However, Atlanta doesn't necessarily want to slow that progression by calling Shuster back up to the big leagues, which is why he'll remain in Triple-A for the time being. Having Shuster in the minors will also do wonders for his trade value, especially if he continues to put up elite numbers. As a top pitching prospect with major-league experience, Shuster could be included in any package for an All-Star level talent if required.
The Braves haven't been shy about trading away prospect capital in recent years. Atlanta dealt Cristian Pache, Drew Waters, Shea Langeliers and more the last two seasons. They could do so again with Shuster, especially if they can acquire an attainable asset for years to come. As great as Shuster may be, Anthopoulos is all about guarantees.
Braves rumors: A.J. Smith-Shawver is available
Atlanta's farm system rebuild has been noted, and their top five prospects are all pitchers. A.J. Smith-Shawver is just 20 years old and, because of his age and relative success so far for a seventh-round pick, is a high-upside prospect who could prove valuable come the trade deadline.
Smith-Shawver is in Double-A already and should be major-league ready by 2025 at the latest. He made his Mississippi Braves debut just under a week ago to relative success, walking two and giving up two hits, but no earned runs. We'll chalk that one up to nerves, as Double-A is a big jump from the hitters Smith-Shawver was used to facing elsewhere.
MLB Pipeline's scouting department has been impressed with Smith-Shawver in a brief amount of time, as the seventh-round pick has exceeded expectations and then some:
"Smith-Shawver is big and projectable and already has an electric fastball-slider combination. His heater sits in the mid-90s and touches 98 mph, with a ton of run and life. His slider flashes plus at 88-92 mph and has the chance to be a special out pitch. There's some feel for his changeup, but he hasn't thrown it a ton, and it's behind the other two pitches. He once had a curve but didn't use it at all last year."
He still has to develop his breaking pitches some and perhaps add a curveball to his arsenal, but Smith-Shawver is well on his way to becoming a regular in any MLB rotation. That kind of talent could be included in just about any trade package.
