An absolutely wild Braves-Mets trade for another outfielder after Kelenic injury

The Atlanta Braves need outfield help bad. Ronald Acuña Jr. is out for the season, and Atlanta is left with Michael Harris II, Jarred Kelenic and Adam Duvall manning the three positions. While a respectable trio, they are one injury away from having a real problem on their hands.

That injury nearly occurred on Wednesday, when Kelenic suffered a wrist injury while making a diving catch. Kelenic was removed from the game, and thankfully sounds okay.

“I think I got lucky. I just kind of jammed my wrist a little bit. Didn’t feel anything crazy, but I passed all the tests. It's just a little stiff right now, but I should be fine. Yeah, I thought I was going to go back out there,” Kelenic said.

Had Kelenic been forced to miss significant time, the Braves would rely on the likes of JP Martinez or the recently-signed Brian Anderson to fill the corner outfield void. That's not good enough -- no disrespect intended to either player. If the Braves are serious about contending for another World Series without Acuña Jr., they must acquire another outfielder.

That's where the rival Mets come in, as either Starling Marte or Harrison Bader would be a great fit.

What a Mets-Braves trade for Harrison Bader would look like

As Bleacher Report's Kerry Miller wrote in her trade deadline big board, Bader would be a nice addition for a contender given his improvement at the plate this season:

"The glovework alone should make Bader an intriguing target for some teams, but he's also having a more productive season at the plate than had been the case in recent years. Granted, "more productive" means a 100 OPS+ compared to 85 in 2022 and 69 last year, but he is both reaching base and stealing them at a decent clip," Miller wrote.

Bader is slashing .272/.317/.376 this season. While his bat doesn't offer much power, if Bader can get on base at a consistent clip near the bottom of the Braves lineup, he'll be a fan favorite. Bader is also an elite defensive outfielder and can play either corner or center field. He'd be an ideal fit, and is a rental. Here's what a trade might look like.

Trading within the NL East isn't ideal for either side, but it's a better deal for the Mets because Bader is likely to leave in free agency after the season, especially if he continues his hot hitting from the plate.

Vines is expendable, as he doesn't have a spot in the Braves current rotation and is used as filler in Gwinnett. Still, Vines has proven capable in the majors for spot starts, and could earn a late-season opportunity in the Mets rotation.

Braun is another top-30 prospect and the Braves sixth-round pick in the 2023 draft. He's a late bloomer, and at 22 years old isn't expected to reach the majors until 2026. He has potential, but must be developed in the Mets system, perhaps with the Brooklyn Cyclones.