3 Braves trade targets from Pirates deadline selling, 1 to avoid

Braves should avoid any Andrew McCutchen trade with Pirates

Coming into the season and certainly at the beginning of the year as well, it seemed as if upgrading the outfield depth and potentially replacing Marcell Ozuna in the left field/designated hitter role was going to be of the utmost importance for the Braves at the trade deadline.

If that were still the case, then the rumors swirling around the possibility of Pirates legend Andrew McCutchen being on the block would make a lot of sense for Atlanta to pursue. He’s a veteran hitter who is putting up good numbers and has a good glove to go with that, even at his age. For what they needed, the fit would’ve been seamless.

Having said that, the Braves no longer need that.

That isn’t to say Atlanta couldn’t still try to add to the outfield and DH roles by way of trade, but it’s most definitely not the priority at this point in the season. Ozuna has gone from hitting sub-.100 to .251 with an .825 OPS while Eddie Rosario has also been scorching hot with an .818 OPS. That pair has combined for 29 home runs, 20 doubles, and 74 RBI on the year.

It’s also been rumbling that the Pirates don’t necessarily want to part with McCutchen this season, which could mean that luring him away from Pittsburgh for the second half of the 2023 campaign could be costly to the Braves or any other inquiring team. For Atlanta trying to address an ancillary need, paying a steepened price for an older player who would likely be gone after this season doesn’t seem like a prudent move to even consider.