Braves' Top Players to Target and Avoid at 2024 MLB Trade Deadline

The Atlanta Braves have done a great job weathering the storm of losing ace Spencer Strider for the year, offsetting his loss with the additions of Chris Sale and Reynaldo Lopez during the offseason to field an improved starting rotation relative to a year ago.

However, the loss of Ronald Acuña Jr. to his own season-ending injury has proven tougher to navigate, and adding an outfielder before the trade deadline has become the team's top priority.

Ahead we've highlighted two outfielders they should target and one they should avoid as a quick overview of how they might approach this year's trade deadline.

Target: Taylor Ward, Los Angeles Angels

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ANAHEIM, CA - JUNE 17: Los Angeles Angels left fielder Taylor Ward (3) is greeted in the dugout after hitting a sacrifice fly scoring a run in the third inning of an MLB baseball game against the Milwaukee Brewers played on June 17, 2024 at Angel Stadium in Anaheim, CA. (Photo by John Cordes/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

A late-bloomer who broke out during his age-28 season in 2022, Taylor Ward has been one of the more productive run producers in the Los Angeles Angels lineup this season, batting .228/.312/.401 with 17 doubles, 14 home runs and 44 RBI.

The 30-year-old is hitting just .163/.278/.287 with three home runs and 10 RBI in 151 plate appearances since the beginning of June, but playing for a team that slips out of the postseason race early can sometimes have that effect on players.

A change of scenery could prove fruitful for a player who had a 134 OPS+ and 23 home runs just a couple years ago, and he is controllable through the 2026 season, making him an even more attractive buy-low target.

Target: Randy Arozarena, Tampa Bay Rays

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MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - JUNE 20: Randy Arozarena #56 of the Tampa Bay Rays his an RBI double against the Minnesota Twins in the second inning at Target Field on June 20, 2024 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by David Berding/Getty Images)

Speaking of buy-low targets, if the Tampa Bay Rays are looking to offload payroll at the trade deadline, outfielder Randy Arozarena could be one of the best targets on the market for contenders looking for upside.

With three straight 20/20 seasons on his resume and an All-Star Game start in 2023 when he posted a 121 OPS+ with 23 home runs, 83 RBI and 22 steals in 151 games, Arozarena is an accomplished player and a proven power-speed threat.

However, he is hitting just .202/.309/.362 for a 93 OPS+ this season, though still accompanied by 16 doubles, 12 home runs, 31 RBI and 14 steals in 93 games.

The 29-year-old is one of the highest-paid players on the Tampa Bay roster with an $8.1 million salary, and that alone could be reason enough for the small-market club to be shopping him.

With club control through 2026, he could be a major addition to the Braves for this season and beyond.

Avoid: Jazz Chisholm Jr., Miami Marlins

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HOUSTON, TEXAS - JULY 11: Jazz Chisholm Jr. #2 of the Miami Marlins flips his bat after hitting a home run in the fifth inning against the Houston Astros at Minute Maid Park on July 11, 2024 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images)

Adding Jazz Chisholm Jr. would certainly be a splashy addition, but it would come at a price that would decimate an already thin Atlanta Braves farm system, likely costing someone from the trio of Spencer Schwellenbach, AJ Smith-Shawver and Hurston Waldrep, along with catcher Drake Baldwin and multiple secondary pieces.

The price could climb even higher than the ask for other teams since the Braves are a division rival and Chisholm is controllable through 2026, so the Marlins would be forced to face him on a regular basis in the coming years.

With plenty of room for in-house improvements offensively, the Braves don't need to aim quite that high in their search for outfield help.