One of baseball’s elite clubs, the Atlanta Braves should be busy at the trade deadline to strengthen their lineup. While they have several needs, landing an impact bat is likely a priority. The club could target an outfielder — MLB analyst Karl Rasmussen of Sports Illustrated suggests they pursue Taylor Ward from the Baltimore Orioles.
“Ward hasn’t flexed the same level of power at the plate that saw him hit 36 home runs for the Angels last season. But he’s been an on-base machine this year, drawing 64 walks in 78 games. Only Nick Kurtz and Mike Trout have taken more free passes than Ward in all of MLB,” Rasmussen wrote. “The Orioles outfielder has a career-high .393 OBP. A left fielder with a high walk rate is exactly what the Braves need in their lineup. In fact, Atlanta ranks 19th in MLB with a team OBP of .317, so finding a player who excels at getting on base would be a huge plus.
“Ward’s counting stats don’t jump off the page (four home runs, 21 RBIs), but he’s hit 23-plus home runs in three of the past four seasons, so he’s certainly capable of hitting for power. With Dubón splitting time between left field and shortstop, a trade for Ward would enable the Braves to deploy Dubón as their everyday shortstop, adding a bit of consistency for the team on defense as they prepare for a postseason run.”
Ward is coming off a career year a year ago as he hit 36 home runs and 103 RBIs. He’s also a pending free agent, which means the Braves likely wouldn’t have to part ways with a massive package.
Ward Could be Everyday Player for Braves
Acquiring Ward would make sense for Atlanta as he fills a major need for the team.
The Braves have been playing Mauricio Dubon all over the diamond, but by adding Ward, Dubon can be the everyday shortstop. Ha-Seong Kim has continued to struggle at the plate, so the Braves need to give Dubon a runway to play all the time.
Ward, meanwhile, would also give the Braves a middle-of-the-order impact bat for Atlanta and make their offense that much better.
Ward can play both corner outfield spots and brings another power bat to Atlanta.
Atlanta Has a Couple Needs at Trade Deadline
The Braves have cooled off a little bit, but they have remained a top team.
With that, Atlanta should be a buyer ahead of the trade deadline, and Jim Bowden believes the Braves will look to add a starter and an impact hitter.
Needs: Starting pitching; another hitter. The recent Spencer Strider injury news has pushed the Braves’ need for starting pitching to the front of the line, with another hitter being a secondary need. In terms of a bat, left field or shortstop are likely their two target areas,” Bowden wrote.
The Braves are 48-31 but are just 4.5 games up on the Philadelphia Phillies for the top spot in the NL East.
