The Atlanta Braves are very much alive in the tight NL East race in the part of early August.
As painful as the first half of the year was, the Atlanta Braves are finally playing their best baseball of the season during the dog days of summer.
It took way too long, but the Braves were finally able to get over the insurmountable asymptote that was having an above. 500 record. Atlanta finds itself in second place in the NL East race with a 57-55 record ahead of their next home series vs. the Cincinnati Reds. The Braves are two games back of the new first-place occupant Philadelphia Phillies in the divisional race. This is so exciting!
While the Braves are positioned to challenge Philadelphia the rest of the way, as well as potentially hold off the reeling New York Mets, they will need to make a few calibrations to their roster to ensure it of happening. Here is one player they need to demote yesterday, as well as one promising prospect that would make a ton of sense to promote in the coming days and weeks.
Atlanta Braves: 1 player to demote, 1 prospect to demote during the stretch run
Catcher Kevan Smith should have played his last game in Braves uniform already
This is about as obvious as they come. As soon as reigning NL Silver Slugger catcher Travis d’Arnaud makes his return to the Atlanta clubhouse, backup backstop Kevan Smith will be kicked to the curb. While the Stephen Vogt trade with the Arizona Diamondbacks has worked out thus far, Smith is essentially a walking out at the plate for the Braves. His days in Atlanta are so over.
Admittedly, Smith is playing way more than he should out of necessity. In 30 games for the Braves this season, he is slashing .165/.248/.198 with no home runs in three runs batted in over 101 total plate appearances. The bottom-third of Atlanta’s batting order has had its issues, and Smith’s ineptitude at the plate is a big reason for it. Fortunately, a solution is on its way Tuesday.
Once d’Arnaud is called up by the Braves, what was once a glaring weakness for Atlanta becomes somewhat of a strength. Having d’Arnaud backed up by Vogt ensures the Braves will be strong behind the dish defensively, but most importantly, not a guaranteed out at the plate. D’Arnaud’s return to the Atlanta lineup makes the Braves’ much-improved bench even more deeper instantly.
While Smith will be sent down, what prospect makes the most sense to be called up here shortly?