Despite his defensive excellence, it is becoming clear that Nick Allen needs to be replaced at shortstop by the Atlanta Braves this coming offseason.
While his 16 Outs Above Average at short is great, what is decidedly less great are his bottom-of-the-scale hitting metrics and an almost complete absence of power.
While trading for Allen was certainly not a disaster and it did allow the Braves to move on from Orlando Arcia, he just is not a long-term solution.
As to what player could be the Braves’ answer at shortstop, that is trickier to answer.
While there have been times when Nacho Alvarez Jr. has shown flashes, he seems better served at third base or maybe second where he is much better defensively and the lack of game power is a problem.
There is no shortage of Braves fans clamoring for Atlanta to make a play for Bo Bichette in free agency, but he is not a great defender and is going to end up getting paid more than he is worth.
However, there may be an intriguing option on the trade market the Braves should strongly consider if is available.
Assuming a world where the Diamondbacks’ roster crunch remains a problem, Atlanta see if they can make a move for top shortstop prospect Jordan Lawlar.
If Jordan Lawlar is made available in trade talks this offseason, the Braves need to pounce
At first glance, the idea that Arizona would even entertain trading Lawlar seems silly.
According to MLB Pipeline, Lawlar is the 23th best prospect in baseball right now and he was having a great season (more on that in a minute).
Unless the Diamondbacks were looking to trade for an impact big league player in the middle of a playoff push, moving Lawlar felt like a red line the Diamondbacks wouldn’t cross.
Where things get sticky is with Arizona’s roster. The Diamondbacks signed Geraldo Perdomo to a four year, $45 million extension before the season started with a reasonable $15 million club option for 2030 as well.
Not only is Perdomo under contract, but he has also played really well for them which seemingly blocks Lawlar in the short term.
Combine the presence of Perdomo with Lawlar’s struggles against big league pitching as well as his hamstring injury this season, you have a top tier talent who you would be buying low on from a team that has other areas of their roster they probably want to address.
Now, the question becomes whether or not the Braves have the necessary pieces to swing such a trade.
The Diamondbacks would probably require some big league (or close) ready pitching and while Atlanta shouldn’t give up JR Ritchie if they can help it, perhaps Didier Fuentes could be a piece to include in a package with a couple other decent prospects to start a conversation.
It wouldn’t be an easy trade to make, but that doesn’t mean the Braves shouldn’t at least try. Shortstop is too important position to keep doing what Atlanta is doing.
With the lack of exciting free agent options, trading for Lawlar may be the best option.
