Braves Tabbed as Perfect Fit for Future Hall of Famer at Deadline

This gives the impression of being a long-shot acquisition, but one MLB insider still sees the Atlanta Braves as a fit for an all-time ballplayer

Obviously, the Braves are a fit, but it's going to take a lot to get him in Atlanta | Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images

The Atlanta Braves' return to being a force in the National League has brought about early trade deadline discourse. One recent idea involved a future Hall of Famer.

Mike Trout has only made the postseason once in his major league career, and that came back in 2014. He's never won a playoff game. They were swept out of the ALDS by a Kansas City Royals team that won the pennant.

In a sense, the old "Free Mike Trout" cries have resumed now that he has returned to form, bringing on the discussion that he could be a fit in Atlanta. They were named as a fit by MLB insider and former general manager Jim Bowden, alongside a more natural fit within the same division, the Philadelphia Phillies.

The idea of Trout joining Bryce Harper in Philly is nothing new. This idea goes back years now, dating back to when Harper signed with the Phillies ahead of the 2019 season. Trout is also from the Philadelpia side of New Jersey, instilling in him a fandom for those teams, most notably the Eagles.

However, Bowden said that while Trout is a Philadelphia sports fan at heart, he has always been fond of the Braves organization. With Jurickson Profar out of the equation and gaps in the outfield that would be easy to replace with Trout, it could make sense in Bowden's view.

"I can envision the outfield: Trout, Acuña, and Michael Harris," he said. "It would be a perfect fit for them, and that would give Mike Trout a legitimate shot, even a better chance than Philadelphia, of winning a World Series, and he would fit perfectly with that team."

There's one very obvious hurdle: Trout is being paid about $37 million per season, and he's under contract through the 2030 season. This wouldn't be a rental. This would be a long-term investment. Trout is also 34 years old. He's only getting older, and the current return to form won't be enough for a team to just eat all that money.

Bowden thinks that any team that acquires Trout will ask the Angels to eat about $70 million of his remaining salary, and in return, two top prospects would be dealt to acquire him. That would bring his annual salary closer to around $22 million per season. That's a little easier pill to swallow, especially with Profar guaranteed to be off the books after next season.

Another hurdle for the Braves in particular would be the prospect pool. Even if they are considered to have some solid prospects, it's a farm that's consider one of the weaker pools in the game. It could make it harder for them to make this move with just two prospects.

Perhaps if they're willing to part with Cam Caminiti and Didier Fuentes, for example, the Angels could be willing to listen. However, it's hard to see the Braves wanting to part with both of them or a combination of two of their better prospects. It's hard to picture them parting ways with JR Ritchie either.

There's a third obstacle as well. That's Trout not wanting to go anywhere. He wants to be a lifer on the team that drafted him. Bowden argued that as he gets older, the ability to go somewhere an win a World Series could be convincing. That being said, we need the three-time MVP to actually express a willingness to go.

It's one of those ideas that sounds great in theory. Would Trout be a great addition? Absolutely. He's one of the greatest players of all time, and he's back to playing like it. But the realism doesn't seem to be there. The odds are greater than zero, but they aren't high.

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