3 moves the Braves should make for Ronald Acuña insurance

Trade for Mitch Haniger

The Braves have been linked to Mitch Haniger forever.

In 2018, his All-Star output made him a hot commodity. Things have cooled down on that front after a ho-him 2019 before a season-ending injury. He sat out all of 2020 as well, so it’s not like he could turn the heat back up.

Haniger sure looks like his old self so far in 2021. He has 10 home runs to put him tied for the American League lead with the likes of Shohei Ohtani, Jose Ramirez and J.D. Martinez. He’s eighth in RBI and fifth in extra-base hits.

The tricky part, of course, is convincing the Mariners to part with him. Seattle has a bunch of young talent they’re hoping to build into a contender. At 30 years old and with just one more season on his deal, Haniger is a valuable asset to cash in on now.

Atlanta could use Haniger’s output from the plate if they want to battle in the NL East. They’ve already fallen well behind the Mets and Phillies.

They’d be buying time for Cristian Pache or Drew Waters to develop on their own time as well. The question is what it would cost to entice Seattle into that deal.