Braves Rumors: Cubs trade, Vaughn Grissom targeted, Duvall’s conflict of interest

Braves Rumors: Vaughn Grissom is Atlanta’s most likely trade chip

Sam Blum, C. Trent Rosecrans and Cody Stavenhagen of The Athletic were tasked with naming the player most likely to get traded from every MLB team. Unsurprisingly, the name tied to the Atlanta Braves was shortstop Vaughn Grissom.

Grissom was the preseason favorite to take over shortstop duties in Atlanta following the departure of All-Star Dansby Swanson, but he lost the job to Orlando Arcia. Grissom spent time in the majors following Ozzie Albies’ injury earlier in the season (.277/.314/.308 and seven RBIs in 19 games), but he has otherwise been a staple of triple-A Gwinnett.

The Braves have Arcia and Albies locked up on long-term contracts, meaning Grissom’s future with the franchise is inherently murky. He’s still a talented hitter who should have fans around the league, but his defensive limitations and the overwhelming depth of Atlanta’s major league roster makes him expendable in the right deal.

What the “right deal” is, of course, will matter. The Braves have been eager to fill out the bullpen and there’s suspicion that Alex Anthopoulos could target more position depth. Grissom is one of the better young players in Atlanta’s farm system, still only 22 years old. He won’t be moved unless it’s for a considerable short-term upgrade, but the Braves are known to maneuver aggressively and Atlanta has a prime opportunity to compete for a World Series title this autumn.