3 players Braves can target to take advantage of Joc Pederson trade return

1. Starling Marte

The Miami Marlins sit in last place in the NL East, trailing the New York Mets by 11 games as of this writing. While there is always a chance the underdog team could make a push for their second consecutive postseason berth down the line, they are in a predicament when it comes to outfielder Starling Marte.

Miami acquired Marte last season from the Arizona Diamondbacks, and is set to become an unrestricted free agent this offseason. The Marlins have had contract negotiations, but the latest report indicates that Marte turned down a three-year, $30 million offer from the team. That has increased the chances that the outfielder is flipped at the deadline. There are teams that are reportedly likely to be interested in acquiring Marte, and the Braves are one of them.

Through 58 games with the Marlins this season, Marte is slashing .292/.391/.448 while recording seven home runs, 22 RBI, 50 runs scored, 62 hits and 19 stolen bases.

Of course, the Braves securing Marte will not come cheap. Fortunately, they did not have to give up much to the Cubs for Pederson, so they could swing a deal and part ways with some prospects if they so choose.