The Atlanta Braves are in trouble. That’s not dramatic handwringing, it’s just math. Six losses in their last seven games turned a comfortable NL East lead into a 6.5-game cushion that suddenly feels fragile. And that was before the Ronald Acuña Jr. news landed.
Acuña is out until after the All-Star break. That’s a massive hole in the lineup and on the bases. So the Braves need to do something. One option that keeps getting mentioned around the league? A trade for Nationals shortstop CJ Abrams.
Why Abrams fits what Atlanta is missing right now
Abrams isn’t a perfect player. According to ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel and Jeff Passan, evaluators don’t think he’s a good shortstop. The defensive metrics back that up. But here’s the thing. The Braves don’t need him to be a Gold Glover. They need someone who can hit, run, and make pitchers uncomfortable. That’s exactly what Abrams does.
He’s already sitting on six home runs and 11 RBIs shy of his career highs. And it’s barely June. His .284 average and .369 slugging percentage are real jumps from anything he’s done before. He’s not Acuña. But he brings the same kind of speed and power threat that Atlanta’s lineup is about to miss for two months.
There’s a longer view here too. If the Braves add Abrams now, they get cover while the pitching staff heals. And later this summer, imagine a rotation that’s actually healthy, with a lineup that includes Abrams, Acuña, Matt Olson, and Ozzie Albies. That’s a team that could sit right behind the Dodgers in the national conversation.
The prospect package that makes sense
Abrams won’t come cheap. He’s already a star. So the Braves would need to send back real talent. Let’s start with infielder Tate Southisene, Atlanta’s No. 4 prospect per MLB.com. He’s shorter than six feet but has legitimate bat speed and surprising power for a middle infielder. He also runs well. MLB.com noted he’s logged 70-grade run times, and scouts like his actions and arm at shortstop or second base.
The Nationals will almost certainly demand a pitcher. Atlanta would want to keep Cam Caminiti off the table. So the better pivot is lefty Briggs McKenzie. He’s a few years away, but the ceiling is high. His curveball is already a plus pitch at 75-78 mph. His fastball has touched 95, though he needs to hold that velocity deeper into starts. Some scouts thought if McKenzie had gone to LSU, he might have ended up like Kade Anderson, who went No. 3 overall in the 2025 Draft.
If Washington wants a third piece, outfielder Patrick Clohisy makes sense. His game is built on speed. In 2025, between the regular season and the Arizona Fall League, he stole 101 bases on 120 attempts. That’s an 84.2 percent success rate. He’s aggressive and he changes games on the basepaths.
None of this is a done deal. The Nationals haven’t signaled they’re shopping Abrams. But the Braves are running out of time to stand still. They need offense now. And Abrams is the kind of player who could give it to them.
Leave a Comment