Vaughn Grissom and 2 more assets Braves can flip for stars at the trade deadline

The trade deadline is months away, but Braves general manager Alex Anthopoulos already has his ear to the ground.

Acquiring talented players generally requires prospects with high potential going back the other way. It’s the way such trades have been made for over a century. The 2023 MLB Trade Deadline will be no exception, especially in the ATL.

The Braves may be the most complete team in the National League — and all of baseball outside of Tampa Bay. They have the second-best record in the sport for a reason, a stacked lineup and a rotation getting healthy at the right time.

Still, every team needs upgrades, and the Braves could use one in left field and likely the bullpen when all is said and done. Anthopoulos will make a move or two, even if they are small ones. But let’s play devil’s advocate.

Let’s say, for example, the Braves wanted to trade for White Sox ace Dylan Cease, or one of Brandon Woodruff or Corbin Burnes from the Milwaukee Brewers. For the right price, all three of those players should be available, along with any number of back-end bullpen arms for the stretch run.

So with that in mind, exactly which prospects should Atlanta consider moving?

Braves rumors: Vaughn Grissom is a trade asset

Atlanta may have hurt Vaughn Grissom’s trade value with several short-term promotions followed by quick demotions due to his shoddy defense, but he’s still one of the better young bats in their system. While no longer technically a prospect, Grissom is a position-less wonder at the moment.

He’s taken reps at shortstop and second base, plus there’s been some talk of moving him to the outfield. The Braves believe in his bat, but it’s his defensive ability which is keeping Grissom from receiving regular playing time right now. As a young player, routine errors often impact his confidence at the plate, which is why he was recently sent back down to Triple-A Gwinnett in favor of another young shortstop, Braden Shewmake. For now, Grissom is losing that battle, with Orlando Arcia taking the starting reps in Atlanta.

Grissom could fetch a nice return if paired with the right prospects. Atlanta doesn’t have much talent in terms of top-100 prospects per MLB Pipeline, and given their farm system is rather barren at the moment, they probably don’t want to trade those guys if they can avoid it. Grissom would serve as a nice work-around.