Braves: 3 trade deadline moves Atlanta is lucky they didn’t make

PITTSBURGH, PA - AUGUST 23: Ronald Acuna Jr. #13 of the Atlanta Braves gestures to the dugout after hitting a single in the fifth inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park on August 23, 2022 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Sargent/Getty Images)
PITTSBURGH, PA - AUGUST 23: Ronald Acuna Jr. #13 of the Atlanta Braves gestures to the dugout after hitting a single in the fifth inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park on August 23, 2022 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Sargent/Getty Images) /
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Atlanta Braves
MIAMI, FLORIDA – AUGUST 16: Brandon Drury #17 of the San Diego Padres walks back to the dugout after striking out in the ninth inning against the Miami Marlins at loanDepot park on August 16, 2022 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Eric Espada/Getty Images) /

2. Braves trade target Brandon Drury has cooled off

Brandon Drury was a rumored Braves trade target before he ended up as one of the pieces the San Diego Padres added. Drury hasn’t been all that great with his new ball club. His impressive start to the season with the Cincinnati Reds feels like eons ago.

Through his first 78 plate appearances with his new ball club, Drury has been a decent run-producer but not much more. He has 3 home runs and 14 RBI, but it comes paired with only a .208/.256/.375 slash line.

Drury was one of several potential multi-positional players Atlanta had on the radar. Ian Happ always made sense, but with him staying put with the Chicago Cubs, we can’t really breathe a sigh of relief. There’s no telling what he could have accomplished if moved to a team in contention.

Drury, on the other hand, is on a ball club that became an immediate favorite after the trade deadline. Other newcomers to the Padres have struggled, too. He’s not alone. In fact, with the way Josh Hader has imploded and Josh Bell has gone down at the plate, Drury’s own struggles have gone somewhat unnoticed.

Braves fans might not even realize how close they came to adding a big piece to the roster that would have just disappointed them.