3 Braves players who aren't on the chopping block, but should be

3 Braves players who aren’t on the chopping block, but should be

ATLANTA, GA - MAY 06: Marcell Ozuna #20 of the Atlanta Braves congratulates Kevin Pillar #17 for hitting a home run during the game against the Baltimore Orioles at Truist Park on April 06, 2023 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin D. Liles/Atlanta Braves/Getty Images) /

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Mar 15, 2015; Lake Buena Vista, FL, USA; The Atlanta Braves logo painted on the field during a spring training baseball game at Champion Stadium. The Toronto Blue Jays beat the Atlanta Braves 10-5. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports /

Top 10 prospect Darius Vines could end up traded this season

For Atlanta to trade for a good player down the stretch of the season, they’re going to need to part ways with prospects, including one or two of their top prospects. The idea of dealing a top 10 prospect doesn’t sit right with many fans, especially a polished pitcher like Darius Vines, but this one could make sense.

Now, let’s preface this by saying the organization would only deal Vines, or another top-10 prospect, for a good return on their investment. Vines shouldn’t be dealt for a rental and the Braves won’t overpay using this quality of prospect.

With that being said, the Braves could see tremendous value in return for a prospect like Vines. And Vines is seemingly blocked by multiple prospects ranked higher than him. MLB Pipeline ranks Vines as Atlanta’s seventh-best prospect, but they have five other right-handed pitchers ranked above him.

There are five pitchers in the Braves system ranked higher than Vines, not even including the MLB rotation with Strider, Fried and Elder. A direct path to the MLB is tough for Vines but losing him wouldn’t sit well with anybody in the Braves faithful. Despite the fan backlash on this idea, Vines would be a necessary piece in any decent sized trade before the deadline.

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