It's obvious the Atlanta Braves need some help in the outfield. Injuries to Ronald Acuña Jr. and Michael Harris II have left a clear void, hindering the Braves from reaching their full potential.
The solution likely lies in the trade market, which general manager Alex Anthopoulos used successfully to replace an injured Acuña in 2021 and turned a .500 club into a World Series champion.
But while this is obviously a much different Braves team now than it was three seasons ago, what if the solution to the 2024 roster looks a lot like it did in 2021?
The Athletic's Aaron Gleeman and Eno Sarris released their MLB trade target tiers Thursday, and ranked 10th among the "good regulars" section, they named the Arizona Diamondbacks' Joc Pederson as a position player who could be dealt at this season's trade deadline.
That ought to perk up the ears of Braves fans, who will always have fond memories of Pederson's pearl necklaces and clutch home runs in the 2021 postseason. But could a reunion with Pederson happen again in 2024? It's not as crazy as it might sound.
The first and most obvious thing that would have to occur would be the Diamondbacks flopping between now and the July 31 deadline. It's been an underwhelming season for Arizona, but at 39-41, the defending National League champs are just 2.5 games out of the postseason.
Second, the Braves would have to feel confident Pederson could still handle left-field duties. He's been exclusively a designated hitter with the D-backs, who have one of the better defensive outfields in baseball. But Pederson played over 100 games in the outfield as recently as 2022, though his defensive metrics left plenty to be desired.
If Pederson can handle the glove, his bat would be a monster upgrade for Atlanta. His .897 OPS and 155 OPS+ are both on track to shatter career-highs. He's mostly faced righties this season, which could make him the perfect platoon partner with the right-handed hitting Adam Duvall.
So while it may not be likely that the D-backs become sellers the way things look, the Braves should at least be keeping tabs on Pederson. Lefty power bats will be in short supply at this season's deadline and if Atlanta snags the best available, that could make a huge difference come October.
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