3 new Braves trade chips for next blockbuster deal with Vaughn Grissom gone
By Mark Powell
1. Braves can trade for pitching prospect stockpile
While I already mentioned Smith-Shawver, the Braves have several pitching prospects who remain a few years away from MLB action. Pitching prospects are often a dime a dozen, and tough to project regardless of how successful they are at the minor-league level. Per MLB Pipeline, the Braves top-six prospects are all pitchers.
Atlanta selected Hurston Waldrep with its first pick in the 2023 MLB Draft. He's already their second-ranked prospect and potentially off the table given his rapid progression through the Braves system. Beyond Waldrep, though, the likes of Owen Murphy, Spencer Schwellenbach, Cade Kuehler and more should be attainable in any trade for top-level pitching, whether it be to fortify the Braves rotation or bullpen.
Murphy, despite being ranked fifth, may offer the most promise as a former first-round pick. He's only 20 years old and has seen mixed results in the Atlanta system. They can afford to part ways with him given the pitching depth they already possess in their system. As MLB Pipeline notes, he has a solid four-pitch mix and is one of the more athletic starting pitchers in the minor leagues today:
"At 6-foot-1, 190 pounds, Murphy doesn’t offer a ton of projection. But he’s very athletic on the mound and repeats his delivery well, pointing to a future of strike-throwing and giving him the chance to sit in the middle of a big league rotation."
In order to acquire top talent, the Braves will have to part with prospect capital. It will hurt in the moment, as fans often get attached to prospects making their way through the system. This is doubly true for high draft picks, and Murphy is a former first rounder.
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