The Atlanta Braves have struggled all season long, but they were recently dealt a few massive blows.
Starting pitcher Reynaldo Lopez underwent arthroscopic shoulder surgery to determine the extent of his arm injury. Lopez is expected to miss a significant chunk of time as the Braves use Bryce Elder in his place.
But the biggest blow the Braves were dealt was the 80-game suspension of Jurickson Profar after the outfielder failed a drug test for PEDs. Profar was signed by the Braves this offseason and will now miss half the regular season as well as the entire postseason.
Atlanta will need to replace him because its offense has sputtered so far this year. While the team will get Ronald Acuña Jr. back at some point this season, it’s not going to be enough to push for the National League pennant and World Series title.
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Chicago White Sox outfielder Luis Robert Jr. would be the perfect trade candidate for the Braves to look into adding.
Robert, 27, hasn’t hit well this season after struggling last year, too. But in 2023, he was an elite outfielder who won a Silver Slugger and received MVP votes.
When at his best, he could slug anywhere between 30-40 home runs with the potential to steal upward of 30 bases per year, too.
If the Braves can land him in a trade, they would have him under team control for the next three years at a very affordable price. It would likely cost Atlanta one or two of its top prospects alongside a young big leaguer like Elder.
Profar put the team in a hole, and the front office needs to do its best to dig the team out.
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