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MLB Trade Deadline Rumors: 5 trades Braves should make

By Nicholas Ian Allen

WASHINGTON, DC - JUNE 14: Brandon Phillips #4 of the Atlanta Braves celebrates with Matt Adams #18 after a 13-2 victory against the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park on June 14, 2017 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Greg Fiume/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC - JUNE 14: Brandon Phillips #4 of the Atlanta Braves celebrates with Matt Adams #18 after a 13-2 victory against the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park on June 14, 2017 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Greg Fiume/Getty Images) /
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WASHINGTON, DC – JULY 07: Nick Markakis #22 of the Atlanta Braves prepares for a pitch during a baseball game against the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park on July 7, 2017 in Washington, DC. The Nationals won 5-4. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC – JULY 07: Nick Markakis #22 of the Atlanta Braves prepares for a pitch during a baseball game against the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park on July 7, 2017 in Washington, DC. The Nationals won 5-4. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images) /

2. Trade Nick Markakis to the Royals

If there is one player on the roster the Braves would really like to trade, it’s Nick Markakis. An Atlanta area native, Markakis signed with the Bravesprior to the 2015 season. The 33-year-old is a steady feature in right field, playing 156 and 158 games, respectively, in his first two seasons, as well as 87 this year, while hitting .283/.360/.388 with 20 home runs over that span. This season, Markakis has hit .284/.364/.393 with four long balls and 46 RBI and has scored 46 runs.

The Rockies actually rank dead last in the majors in right field fWAR (-1.5), though Colorado is likely to stick it out with Carlos Gonzalez as he finishes the final year of his contract, then let Raimel Tapia slide into an everyday outfield role.

Markakis is also scheduled to make $11 million in 2018, when he will be 34. That salary could scare off a team like the Royals, but if the club is preparing to make one last run at the World Series with their current core roster, Kansas City needs to jump at an opportunity.

A trade with the Royals would make sense because K.C. hasn’t gotten much production from its right or left fielders this year. Kansas City left fielders (otherwise known as Alex Gordon) rank dead last in the majors in every slash category, hitting a combined .195/.290/.302, and the Royals right fielders have combined to hit .215/.288/.371 and have posted a -0.7 fWAR that ranks as the worst in the AL and third worst in the majors.

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