3 more Braves who won't be back after Alex Anthopoulos opens trade channels

The Braves should trade Vaughn Grissom unless they plan on moving him to left field

Atlanta traded Vaughn Grissom's top competition at backup shortstop in Braden Shewmake to the White Sox. Shewmake is a capable defender -- more so than Grissom -- but doesn't have the same powerful back that Grissom possesses.

The problem with Grissom is that he doesn't provide much defensive stability anywhere on the infield. While he's a fine second baseman, Ozzie Albies has that spot solidified moving forward. At shortstop, he didn't cut it, and lost the starting job to Orlando Arcia despite an offseason spent with Ron Washington working on his defensive abilitiy.

A move to left field could help increase his playing time. It would also save the Braves money, which is the argument made by fans and pundits alike. Grissom is an MLB-ready bat, he just shouldn't play in the infield. DH isn't available, so why not replace Eddie Rosario? Anthopoulos has considered this possibility.

“(Playing Grissom in left field) is a scenario because he’s a tremendous athlete,” said Anthopoulos. “We did it with Austin Riley (who played left field as a rookie in 2019). Guys like Chipper Jones did the same thing. So that could happen. We’re not committed to that. But the fact that he can play short, second and third, we think he’s absolutely athletic enough if we want to put him out in the outfield.”

While an option, is playing Grissom in the outfield probable? He has limited experience there. Trading him elsewhere -- where he might receive consistent playing time at a position he's comfortable with -- makes plenty of sense if the Braves can get starting pitching back in return.