It was a year from hell for the Atlanta Braves. While they still made it to the postseason, this was a team with World Series aspirations a year ago. When one star player after another went down for lengthy stretches due to injury, it became apparent Atlanta had no shot to win the NL East. While the Philadelphia Phillies did not win the World Series, the New York Mets have made it to the 2024 NLCS.
This past season’s failures land on the training staff, Brian Snitker’s managerial decisions and some of the moves that Alex Anthopoulos did or did not make. However, Atlanta’s season of failure would be viewed as a successful one for nearly half of baseball. It is all about honestly confronting what went wrong, adjusting accordingly and going from there. What if there is a trade to be made for the Braves?
With Anthopoulos being Canadian and having worked for the Toronto Blue Jays, how about this deal?
While Bo Bichette was drafted out of high school right after Anthopoulos left the Blue Jays organization to briefly work for the Los Angeles Dodgers before taking over in Atlanta, the fit seems great. Bichette’s father Dante starred alongside Braves bench coach Walt Weiss with the Colorado Rockies in the 1990s. Bichette would massively elevate the Braves offense at the shortstop position.
Defensively, you are not losing much pivoting off Orlando Arcia in favor of Bichette, if at all. Going Toronto’s way would have to include the Braves’ best prospect, in my eyes, in catcher Drake Baldwin. He is talented, but is buried on the Braves’ depth chart behind Travis d’Arnaud, Sean Murphy and Chadwick Tromp. And as far as AJ Smith-Shawver is concerned, please get him off of my team now!
Baseball trades are usually not my cup of tea, but I know a player I want in Atlanta when I see one.
How Atlanta Braves can trade for Toronto Blue Jays SS Bo Bichette
Bichette will turn 27 in March. He grew up along the Florida Gulf Coast as the son of a four-time All-Star. Bichette will be entering the final season of his three-year deal signed with Toronto ahead of the 2023 MLB season. While he has only played for the Blue Jays and their minor league affiliates, this team needs to reboot it a bit. Going to a winning organization in Atlanta could be huge for Bichette.
Most importantly, Bichette is the type of player that Anthopoulos loves to extend. He is on the good side of 30 and not making a ton of money this season, a shade over $11 million. Would it shock you if Bichette is traded to the Braves shortly before his 27th birthday and signs a five-year extension worth $20 million-plus, with $1 million of that going to the Braves Foundation in an email release?
Simply put, Atlanta cannot have a walking out at shortstop next season. Arcia was great during his first season as the starter in 2023, but regressed to the mean last year. He is not making very much on his contract, and will be entering the final year of it. Baldwin is the real piece a team like Toronto would want. Smith-Shawver could be good one day, but nobody in Braves Country believes in him.
For my money, I would do everything I can to trade for Bichette this offseason to help this team win.
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