Jays Journal
FanSided

Blue Jays: NL teams most likely to call about trade talks

By Chris Henderson

TORONTO, ON - JUNE 15: Trea Turner #7 of the Washington Nationals reacts after striking out for the final out of the game in the ninth inning during MLB game action as Russell Martin #55 of the Toronto Blue Jays records the final putout at Rogers Centre on June 15, 2018 in Toronto, Canada. (Photo by Tom Szczerbowski/Getty Images)
TORONTO, ON - JUNE 15: Trea Turner #7 of the Washington Nationals reacts after striking out for the final out of the game in the ninth inning during MLB game action as Russell Martin #55 of the Toronto Blue Jays records the final putout at Rogers Centre on June 15, 2018 in Toronto, Canada. (Photo by Tom Szczerbowski/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
2 of 6
Next
ATLANTA, GA – JUNE 14: Centerfielder Ender Inciarte #11 of the Atlanta Braves is congratulated in the dugout after hitting a solo home run in the fifth inning during the game against the San Diego Padres at SunTrust Park on June 14, 2018 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Mike Zarrilli/Getty Images)
ATLANTA, GA – JUNE 14: Centerfielder Ender Inciarte #11 of the Atlanta Braves is congratulated in the dugout after hitting a solo home run in the fifth inning during the game against the San Diego Padres at SunTrust Park on June 14, 2018 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Mike Zarrilli/Getty Images) /

Atlanta Braves

Whether or not the Braves will add to their talented young roster remains to be seen. The more likely scenario is they ride this current group for whatever happens, knowing full well that they’re at least a year earlier to the playoff race than they ever thought they’d be. The talent is all over the club, and they’re young. Alex Anthopoulos definitely landed himself into an enviable position, and should be set up well for the immediate, and long term future.

If they are still in the playoff hunt before the trade deadline, I could see “AA” giving his old team a call about a couple veterans, depending on the acquisition cost of course. I don’t think he’s going to overpay for someone like Donaldson or Happ, but I wouldn’t be surprised if he looked to add a reliever, or maybe some cheap outfield depth.

Entering play on Friday night, the Braves had a 1.5 game lead on the Nationals for the NL East crown, something that could be difficult for them to hold on to throughout the year. They’ve held the lead longer than I expected already, but I feel like the Nationals are bound to eventually overtake them.

If that happens, they’ll have to battle it out with the likes of the Cubs, Cardinals, Phillies, Dodgers, Rockies, and Giants. The Wild Card race is set to look a lot like the one that happened in the American League last year, so it remains to be seen how the Braves approach things.

They certainly have a familiarity with the Blue Jays’ system, and enough young talent to make whatever deadline deals they choose to. I wouldn’t be surprised if Anthopoulos calls his former team to see if there is some cost-effective help.

Home/Toronto Blue Jays News