The offseason isn’t even over year, but it is abundantly clear that Atlanta Braves fans are losing patience with the front office. To be fair, they seem to have a point as all the Braves have done this offseason is trim payroll and sign fringe roster candidates. Sure, Atlanta has tried to make moves, but that doesn’t mean much to folks that simply want the Braves to improve this team that is firmly in the middle of their competitive window.
It hasn’t helped that the Dodgers seem to be signing everyone this offseason including Tanner Scott who was a popular choice as a Braves target. It’s bad enough that Atlanta has done precious little, but it is decidedly worse when a bitter rival is going wild.
There is still time for the Braves to get something done, but some enterprising outlets are already looking ahead to the 2025 trade deadline. One such outlet is Bleacher Report who took a guess that the Braves could trade for Bo Bichette at this year’s deadline.
— Keegan Matheson (@KeeganMatheson) April 10, 2024
Braves predicted to trade for Bo Bichette and, frankly, such a move could make sense
There is no denying that, at minimum, Braves shortstop Orlando Arcia is on the hot seat heading into 2025. In 157 games last season, he was worth just 0.5 rWAR thanks to a dreadful .218/.271/.354 line. Most Braves fans were ready for the team to move on from him at the start of the offseason, but an upgrade at shortstop has been elusive thus far and there aren’t really a ton of great options available at this point of the offseason.
Assuming a world where Atlanta gives Arcia one last chance heading into the season and he flops, Bichette may be the ideal sort of trade target to replace him. He is a free agent at the end of the season which should keep his price down, he is loaded with upside on both sides of the ball, and he is coming off a down 2024 season which might dissuade other contenders from going crazy trying to trade for him.
Of course, the Braves do have other options. Despite a tough first look at the majors, the organization clearly still likes Nacho Alvarez and he is at least a strong defender they could slot in if needed. Other, less costly options are also likely to be available at the deadline as well albeit with less upside than Bichette. However, with Atlanta coming off a (potentially) disappointing offseason, the front office may need to make a splash like this to keep pace and continue to have the goodwill of fans behind them.
