5 teams that need to make a big trade offer for Francisco Lindor

4. Atlanta Braves

The Braves won their second consecutive NL East title this year but were forced to watch their division rivals from Washington lift the World Series trophy. Yes, the Braves won the division, but the Nationals came out on top in the end and were the better team for the final four months of the year. Entering 2020, the Braves are on shaky ground as favorites to win their third divisional crown in a row.

At the top of the list of offseason priorities for the Braves this year is re-signing third baseman Josh Donaldson. He was a force in his first season in Atlanta and looks to have plenty left after shaking off two years of injuries to approach his old All-Star levels of production. Donaldson was happy as a part of the Braves young lineup, and they were happy with his leadership in the clubhouse.

Re-signing Donaldson isn’t set in stone, but seems more likely than not. After taking care of that bit of business, the Braves will likely set their sights on a starting pitcher. The problem there is that the top of the market is limited to Gerrit Cole and Stephen Strasburg. There aren’t any other true impact arms worth paying top dollar for, though the Braves do like veteran Madison Bumgarner.

Because the Braves are unlikely to find a huge upgrade for their starting rotation on the open market, they should chart a different course and trade for Francisco Lindor. They certainly have the talent in their farm system to entice the Indians.

Former number one overall pick Dansby Swanson hasn’t set the world on fire in his first three full seasons in the big leagues. Lindor would be an upgrade in every aspect of the game. An infield of Donaldson, Lindor, Ozzie Albies and Freddie Freeman would instantly become the best in the league, and by quite a wide margin.