The Atlanta Braves should expect a significant roster boost when Ronald Acuña Jr. returns to the lineup in 2025.
However, with winter meetings approaching and offseason deals expected to heat up after Juan Soto makes his contract decision, the Braves may explore for some external roster additions as well.
Veteran pitchers Max Fried and Charlie Morton could be on their way out, forcing the front office to reconsider its rotation choices. FanSided’s Steven Teal has proposed a trade that may bring the Braves an impactful outfield slugger to join Acuña.
Teal proposed a five-player trade in which the Braves would send prospects Drake Baldwin, Hurston Waldrep, David McCabe, and Jeremy Reyes to the Astros in exchange for Kyle Tucker.
“This could be an incredibly tough pill for the Braves to swallow as parting with Drake Baldwin alone hurts to imagine,” according to him. “Hurston Waldrep is Atlanta’s third-best prospect, and the team has stated that they want to keep him, but he should not be considered ‘untouchable.'” However, he and Baldwin provide Houston with solutions to two of their main needs, and they are both on the verge of becoming MLB-ready.”
Even though Tucker is in his final season of arbitration eligibility, it would likely take a significant haul to persuade him to leave the Astros. At the age of 27, he has appeared in the last three All-Star games and has won both the Gold Glove and the Silver Slugger Awards. He lost some time in 2024, but still hit.289/.408/.585, with 23 home runs.
He’s expected to make $16.7 million in arbitration next season, according to Spotrac, and the Astros may try to trade him for some young talent rather than seeing him leave for a big long-term deal somewhere in free agency next winter.
However, the Braves may want to hold onto their top prospects until they are convinced Tucker will be more than just a one-season rental.
“This would be a beneficial trade for both sides, but only if (president of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos) could get Tucker to sign an immediate extension,” said Teal. “Otherwise, this big of a trade for one year of his services would be a poor decision.”
