The Atlanta Braves have certainly added depth to their starting rotation recently with the signings of left-hander Drew Smyly and right-hander Charlie Morton, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they are done Christmas shopping. Could Blake Snell be a Christmas surprise for Braves fans?
Braves President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Alex Anthopoulos continues to take gambles on one-year deals. Smyly just signed for $11 million while Morton hauled in $15 million.
Sources announced Monday the Tampa Bay Rays were open to trading their ace Blake Snell. Now that the Braves have already added pieces to the rotation, could they still deal for Snell?
The Potential Haul For Snell
Realistically Atlanta has everything the Rays want to make a deal. In several articles by MLB.com, it was noted Tampa Bay has three big needs.
The first is to shred payroll. Blake Snell has three years and $39 million remaining on a five-year contract signed through 2023. He will earn $10.5 million in 2021, $12.5 million in 2022, and $16 million in 2023. To create flexibility the Rays would need to move money from its highest-paid players, which according to MLB.com, are Kevin Kiermaier (two years, $23.5 million left on his deal) and Yoshitomo Tsutsugo (one-year, $7 million).
The second and third needs are a key position player and reliever. Tampa needs a catcher, preferably one with experience. They also are in need of a left-handed reliever. Atlanta could provide both and more depending on the pieces the Rays are looking for.
In theory, the Rays could trade Snell for one of the two young Braves catchers in either Alex Jackson or William Contreras along with left-handers Tucker Davidson and/or Grant Dayton. The Braves could ask for Tampa to take on some of Snell’s salary in order for this trade to work. On paper, the trade works for both sides but in reality, the Rays are more likely to ask for Braves top prospect Drew Waters, a left-handed reliever, and a starting pitcher, even Kyle Wright perhaps.
According to baseballtradevalues.com, a 5-player trade sending Blake Snell to Atlanta for Jackson, Waters, Wright, and Dayton would be fair.
The Rays Gains
If the Rays can somehow rid themselves of Kiermaier and acquire Waters their outfield could be set for the future. As it stands now, the Rays have a four-man starting rotation so acquiring Wright along with either Davidson and/or Dayton could give the rotation much-needed depth.
In acquiring Wright, the club essentially gains one with limited experience, albeit one that has regular and postseason stints. Davidson is an untested arm the team could mold and experience with different roles while on the hand, Dayton provides a veteran presence
Acquiring a catcher has to be a priority as Ronaldo Hernandez is listed as the only catcher at the moment. The team could bring back Mike Zunino after declining his club option. Trading for a young catcher they could mold into their system would benefit the team.
Having Waters means the Rays have a formidable but promising young outfield. The switch-hitting centerfielder has not played in a major league game but has shown flashes of power, range, and a cannon for an arm according to Braves scouts.
Snell On the Braves
Gaining another ace for Atlanta could be the piece that provides them a World Series push. It certainly would give them options throughout the regular season and playoffs as to how to manage its staff without having to limit them to pitch counts.
The starting rotation could boast a young core of Max Fried, Ian Anderson, Snell, Mike Soroka, and Smyly or Charlie Morton. That’s not including the young arms the Braves could throw into a spot start such as Sean Newcomb, Chad Sobotka, Josh Tomlin, Touki Toussaint, Jeremy Walker, Jacob Webb, Patrick Weigel, Huascar Ynoa, and Bryse Wilson.
If the deal gets done, it’d be a Snell of a trade for both sides. One that could see both clubs benefit towards a strong postseason run for years to come.
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