3 Braves trade targets to already dream about and 1 to definitely avoid

BALTIMORE MARYLAND - APRIL 12: Brent Rooker #25 of the Oakland Athletics rounds the bases after hitting a home run during a baseball game against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on April 12, 2023 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images) /

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Brent Rooker, Oakland A’s. (Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images) /

Braves rumors: Brent Rooker could be a trade target to fix the LF issue

Suffice it to say that trading with the Oakland A’s has worked out extremely well for the Atlanta Braves over the past two years as Matt Olson has been a legitimate All-Star for his hometown team since he was traded and Sean Murphy has been well on his way to his first-ever All-Star Game appearance in 2023 after being dealt to the Bravos in the offseason.

Why not head back to that well, then?

As mentioned, the Marcell Ozuna problem in left field is persisting and the Braves could look to take advantage of perhaps the lone bright spot on the A’s so far this season, Brent Rooker. That is, of course, if Oakland is willing to part with the 28-year-old outfielder.

Rooker, in his first season with the Athletics after sporadic time with the Twins, Padres and Royals over the past three seasons, has been a fireball at the plate to begin the year. In 22 games and 68 at-bats, Rooker already has nine home runs and 22 RBI to his credit with a staggering 1.245 OPS on the year along with only 16 strikeouts compared to 14 walks.

That’s pretty much the antithesis of the net-zero that Ozuna has been giving Atlanta to begin the season. Given that he’s not stuck anywhere, the A’s could be looking to move Rooker as an asset to again try and deepen their farm system. If that should be the case, what he’s done this season so far makes him a worthwhile target for a possible Braves trade.

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