Fansided

If the Braves can keep control of the NL East with these trades

By Baasil Ebrahim

OAKLAND, CA - MAY 05: Manny Machado #13 of the Baltimore Orioles bats against the Oakland Athletics in the top of the fourth inning at the Oakland Alameda Coliseum on May 5, 2018 in Oakland, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
OAKLAND, CA - MAY 05: Manny Machado #13 of the Baltimore Orioles bats against the Oakland Athletics in the top of the fourth inning at the Oakland Alameda Coliseum on May 5, 2018 in Oakland, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) /
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BOSTON, MA – SEPTEMBER 26: Josh Donaldson #20 of the Toronto Blue Jays reacts after hitting a solo home run during the first inning of a game against the Boston Red Sox on September 26, 2017 at Fenway Park in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Billie Weiss/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)
BOSTON, MA – SEPTEMBER 26: Josh Donaldson #20 of the Toronto Blue Jays reacts after hitting a solo home run during the first inning of a game against the Boston Red Sox on September 26, 2017 at Fenway Park in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Billie Weiss/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images) /

2. Josh Donaldson

This is a name you should have seen coming. We’ve talked about the Blue Jays needing to trade pieces for prospects, the Braves hole at third base, and the Braves financial flexibility. The culminates in Josh Donaldson and his $23 million coming to the Braves. So far, he is having a down season, but he is still just a few years removed from winning the AL MVP. Part of his struggles this year can be attributed to his battling back from a shoulder injury.

The Braves have already tried out a former big Blue Jays bat and they should be willing to give Donaldson a chance. While he only has a .744 OPS so far this year, he has a wOBA of .396 just last year and has simply lost a lot of his power. His isolated power is just .202 this year, down from .298 last year. Thankfully for him, SunTrust Park is one of the most hitter friendly parks in the MLB. So, moving here may help him resurrect himself.

To get him, the Braves should insist on keeping Johan Camargo in case Donaldson doesn’t work out. This means they would likely have to send Charlie Culberson and Ian Anderson to the Blue Jays. They would then hope that the Blue Jays would pay part of Donaldson’s contract, but that isn’t necessary to the Braves.

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