Braves Rumors: Soroka on the block, Alex Anthopoulos risk, Mets upset

Braves Rumors: Alex Anthopoulos takes a risk

The Braves have one of the weakest far systems in all of baseball, per MLB Pipeline. Outside of A.J. Smith-Shawver and a select few others, Atlanta didn't have many prospects to add to its 40-man roster, thus protecting them from the Rule 5 draft. Because they have such a strong big-league team, there isn't much room to protect unproven players.

That's true for prospects such as Jesse Franklin IV, who was the most obvious standout that can now be selected by any team in the Rule 5. Franklin is a former third-round pick but has been stuck at Double-A the last two seasons. The young outfielder hasn't made the necessary progress at the plate, and therefore could find himself in a new organization this offseason. Here's how MLB Pipeline described Franklin IV:

"A solid athlete, Franklin showed he can steal a base with his above-average speed. He’s seen time in all three outfield spots, but left seems to be the best spot if he were to settle into one outfield position as an everyday player. More than anything, he needs a full season of reps to show whether he can be a power-hitting run producer at the upper levels."

Franklin has missed some time due to injury, and while his raw athleticism is obvious, he has some holes in his swing he'll need to clean up to make the majors. Hopefully, that happens with Atlanta.