Atlanta Braves Trade Deadline Preview

OF Jeff Francoeur and 2B Kelly Johnson

Not every player that will be traded close to the deadline will be a starting caliber piece. Francoeur may not be a starting left fielder like he is for the Braves, but he could be a nice asset off the bench for a national league team. The 32 year-old is putting up solid numbers this season as well.

Currently, Francoeur has a .278 bating average with a .309 on-base percentage. He has only hit two long balls in 2016, but he did reach double digits last season. He also will be able to provide veteran leadership and be able to fill an outfield spot admirably if there is a prolonged injury. There are many clubs that need help in the outfield, including the San Francisco Giants, who just lost Hunter Pence for eight weeks. Francoeur seems like he could possibly fit there, or any other National League team that may suffer from injuries to their outfield.

Kelly Johnson was a much more valuable trade piece last offseason when he was dealt to the Mets, along with Juan Uribe, for their playoff push. The 34 year-old infielder is hitting just .220 thus far and only has one home run to his credit. However, he does have somewhat of a productive track record in the major leagues and is able to play many positions on the baseball field. This year, Johnson is spending most of his time at second base, but in his career, he has also seen action at first, third and the corner outfield spots. A national league team may value his versatility and want to add him to their major league roster. Johnson won’t fetch much in a deal, but he won’t do much for the struggling Atlanta Braves at this point of his career.

Next: A veteran right fielder