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The Atlanta Braves will be in the market for a new shortstop after cutting ties with Orlando Arcia.
A roster move needed to be made with Ronald Acuña Jr. returning from the injured list, and the Braves opted to make a change at shortstop. Nick Allen will take the reins for the time being, but the door is open for the Braves to now pursue Bo Bichette from the Toronto Blue Jays.
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“Allen, 26, is also struggling at the plate, slugging just .289 and failing to hit a home run through 42 games,” said Thomas Gamba-Ellis for the New York Post. “Allen appears to be a stopgap for the Braves until they find someone to fill that role permanently.”
Bichette entered Friday’s game hitting .289 with four home runs and 25 RBI as he has found a resurgence at the plate this season. The 27-year-old shortstop is putting together a strong season ahead of becoming a free agent at the end of the year.
MLB Network analyst Dan O’Dowd also believes Bichette and the Braves are a good match for each other.
“”I think the Braves need a bat. But I think they need that kind of bat,” O’Dowd said on MLB Network. “High contact, low strikeouts, use the entire field. They have been getting very little offense from shortstop for a number of years. It’s a trade for me that the Braves really need to plug that position in their lineup with an offensive shortstop.”
The Braves will need to add to the offense at the trade deadline in July in an effort to gain ground on the Philadelphia Phillies and New York Mets.
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