Braves: 3 trades to help replace injured Ronald Acuña Jr.
By Tim Boyle
2) Braves trade option to replace Ronald Acuña Jr.: Ian Happ
Everyone has a personal favorite trade candidate this summer. Ian Happ might be yours. There is a year and a half left of control on him before the Chicago Cubs left fielder reaches free agency. They don’t need to trade him away like they do Willson Contreras. However, the Cubs are so far behind the rest of the National League that they do need to take their rebuild a little more seriously and capitalize on the successful season Happ is having.
After 287 plate appearances, Happ is a .279/.376/.459 hitter. He has 8 home runs and 36 RBI to go with 16 doubles. He is on his way to possibly posting career-best numbers in multiple categories with maybe only the home run total falling short of the 25 he peaked at last season.
Again, power isn’t the priority the Braves should have when seeking an outfield upgrade in Acuña’s absence. Happ, like Benintendi, can hit for a good average (at least this season) and draw walks (a strength throughout his career).
Best of all, Happ isn’t just limited to the outfield. He has experience at second base and third base as well. There are places to put him even if Acuña returns in a timely fashion. His versatility cannot be overstated.