Atlanta Braves: Five more players who could be traded

Aug 31, 2014; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Braves left fielder Justin Upton (8) Atlanta Braves right fielder Jason Heyward (22) andAtlanta Braves center fielder B.J. Upton (2) celebrate their 1-0 win over the Miami Marlins at Turner Field. Mandatory Credit: Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports

From their actions the past few days, it’s become fairly evident that the Atlanta Braves are shifting into a full rebuilding mode. The team’s being aggressive in reshaping their roster, looking to retool in preparation to field a competitive squad for the 2017 season – the year their new stadium is slated to open.

The Braves have made a pair of trades in recent days: sending second baseman Tommy La Stella to the Chicago Cubs before wheeling outfielder Jason Heyward and reliever Jordan Walden to the St. Louis Cardinals. The deals, which appeared to come about quickly following the team’s decision on their future, brought a trio of arms – Shelby Miller, Arodys Vizcaino, and Tyrell Jenkins – back to Atlanta at a time when stockpiling pitchers is of paramount importance.

Assuming that the Braves aren’t done making moves this winter, there are a handful of names that are clearly off the table.

Freddie Freeman agreed to an eight year, $135 million extension. Andrelton Simmons signed for seven years, $58 million. Julio Teheran was given a six year, $32.4 million deal. All three deals were completed this past February, allowing the team to lock up a number of their cornerstone players at once. If we include the club option attached to Teheran’s deal, all three would remain under the Braves’ control through the 2020 season.

While the trio may be nearly untouchable in potential deals, there are still numerous players on the Braves roster that they could look to move in an effort to push this rebuilding process along. Let’s take a closer look at five of them.