Atlanta Braves Trade Scenarios: Could the Bravos Catch Philly with a Good Move?

The Atlanta Braves began Sunday five games behind the Philadelphia Phillies in the National League East. Although the Braves lead the Wild Card race by the same amount, they would much prefer to win the division and therefore avoid starting the First Round on the road, likely against the defending champion San Francisco Giants.

With the trade deadline just one week away, the likelihood of the Braves acquiring Carlos Beltran, Hunter Pence or one of the other big names on the market has decreased markedly. Instead Atlanta seems to be focusing on the second tier of available outfielders, which would cost them much less in terms of prospects.

The Braves probably won't catch the Phillies without a major upgrade in center field, though it isn't out of the realm of possibility. With a black hole at shortstop in Alex Gonzalez, and another one in center field when Jordan Schafer starts, the Braves offense doesn't score runs consistently enough to chase down Philadelphia.

That said, Atlanta still has one of the best pitching staffs in the league, with a combined ERA of 3.37. That number has been inflated since the All-Star break because of trips to Coors Field and Great American Ball Park as well as multiple appearances from MLB's worst pitcher, Scott Proctor.

Despite the fact that returning Nate McLouth to center field, while sending Schafer back where he belongs (Triple-A), would provide an instant boost to the offense once Chipper Jones returns, manager Fredi Gonzalez has fallen in love with Schafer.

So, a trade seems like the only way Gonzalez would be willing to lessen the already unacceptable amount of playing time Schafer has received. Not to mention batting him lead-off with a .301 on-base percentage is ludicrous, as well.

With that in mind, here are five center fielders the Braves should pursue that wouldn't cost them as much as Beltran.

Scott Hairston (New York Mets)

Scott Hairston is one of three New York Mets outfielders that the Atlanta Braves could use. Carlos Beltran and Angel Pagan are the others. Hairston makes the list because he is having a nice July (1.165 OPS in limited at-bats) and would be the least costly to acquire.

On the season Hairston has a triple-slash line of .255/.327/.500 in 104 ABs. He has a .333 on-base percentage against lefties this season, and a. 331 mark for his career. With both Braves center fielder options being left-handed, Hairston would be able to platoon with either one, preferably McLouth.

His defense in center field is average, but clearly better than McLouth's, so he could be used as a defensive sub late in games as well. The Mets haven't given him more than 30 ABs in any month, so the price shouldn't be more than a mid-level prospect.

Coco Crisp (Oakland Athletics)

Coco Crisp puts the ball in play a lot and with his speed, which is a good thing. He walks or strikes out just 17.3 percent of the time, which would seemingly be a perfect fit for the ultra-aggressive Atlanta Braves offense led by hitting coach Larry Parrish.

Crisp's line on the season is .268/.318/.386, but he excels against right-handed pitching. That means if the Braves were to trade for Crisp, he would likely become the everyday starter in center. He clearly is a better option than Jordan Schafer.

While some would worry this may bury Nate McLouth on the depth chart, the Braves would likely send Schafer down to Triple-A to get regular at-bats. McLouth would then be the main backup at each outfield position, so he would probably still get two or three starts per week.

Reed Johnson (Chicago Cubs)

Although he has only received more than 500 at-bats once in his nine-year career, Reed Johnson is one of the more effective fourth outfielders in the game. This season with the Chicago Cubs, Johnson has a .328/.369/.555 battling line in 137 ABs.

More importantly for the Braves, Johnson is crushing lefties to the tune of a .929 OPS. He would be an ideal platoon mate for Nate McLouth. Johnson does have an unsustainable .414 batting average on balls in play, so his numbers will regress if given ample at-bats, especially against right-handed pitching.

A free agent at the end of the season, and clearly not a part of the Cubs plans for the future, Johnson would likely come at an acceptable cost for the Braves. However, given his numbers and the number of contenders that could use another outfielder, Atlanta won't be the only team in the mix.

Denard Span (Minnesota Twins)

Having signed a five-year extension with the Minnesota Twins in the offseason, Denard Span is probably the player least likely to get traded on this list. With the emergence of Ben Revere while Span has been on the disabled list with a concussion, however, might mean he could be had if the price was right.

Before getting injured on June 6, Span had a batting line of .294/.361/.385 with four stolen bases while playing good defense in center field. Despite being a left-handed batter like Jordan Schafer and Nate McLouth, Span's OPS is actually better against lefties both this season and throughout his career. It wouldn't matter though, as Span would be the full-time starter if acquired.

The two biggest questions in this scenario are, would the Twins be willing to trade Span? If so, what's the price? The Twins would be looking for at least two, maybe three prospects for Span, with at least one being a starting pitcher and another being a middle infielder.

B.J. Upton (Tampa Bay Rays)

After Desmond Jennings was recalled from Triple-A and B.J. Upton was removed from the game on Friday night, many fans though Upton had been traded. He wasn't, but the possibility is still there that he will be moved sometime within the next week.

The most costly player on the list, the Braves would probably have to trade one of their better young arms to acquire Upton. He would bring an entirely new dimension to the offense though, as his speed is something the Braves roster just doesn't have. His .310 OBP isn't much better for the lead-off spot than Jordan Schafer, but that would be the reality with Fredi Gonzalez at the helm.

That said, Upton is a dynamic young talent that has stolen at least 40 bases the past three seasons and has a 24-homer season on his résumé. If Atlanta could acquire him without having to move Julio Teheran, Randall Delgado, Mike Minor or Edward Salcedo, it would be a smart move for the Braves.