Making the Atlanta Braves contenders with $35 million

Make it HAPPen, Captain.

Like I said, some trades hurt, but they’re worth it in the end, and that’s true with this first trade proposal. Before lashing out at the seemingly foolish nature of the deal, think about how it could benefit the team, as opposed to what the team would be giving up.

Here’s the first proposal:

Nick Markakis, Julio Teheran, Ian Anderson, Kyle Muller & $5 million to the Chicago Cubs for Ian Happ and Javier Baez

The key to this deal is that the Braves are paying about half of Nick Markakis‘ salary in 2018. If the Cubs were to be stuck paying all of Markakis’ $10.5 million salary, they wouldn’t be as inclined to give Atlanta something of value in return.

In total, this trade would save the Braves about $12.5 million, increasing their potential offseason spending number to $42.5 million.

I’ve been super high on Ian Happ for a while now, and I can’t stress enough how well he would perform in an Atlanta Braves uniform. As if being a switch-hitter wasn’t enticing enough, Happ hit 19 of his 24 home runs from the left side of the plate, and SunTrust Park favors potent left-handed bats.

Happ has six years of control and could be the final piece of an outfield, along with Ender Inciarte and Ronald Acuña, that would be locked down for at least five years,

As for Javier Baez, he fills the temporary hole at third base, and once Austin Riley arrives, he could serve as the super-utility guy that many fans think Johan Camargo is going to be. Together, he and Happ would add just the right amount of pop to Atlanta’s lineup.

Giving up Julio Teheran is something many fans are bent on for quite some time. He’s had his ups and downs with the Atlanta Braves, but ultimately, his extremely team-friendly contract along with his potential to be a substantial number two or three starter makes him more valuable in a trade than on the roster.

Trading Markakis is self-explanatory, and Ian Anderson and Kyle Muller help balance out the deal, with Happ and Baez carrying a good bit of value. Anderson and Muller are a pair of prospects that will be in their age-20 seasons in 2018, and still, have a bit to prove.

Anderson still needs to fill out his six-foot-three frame, and Muller requires a bit more experience before his performance is accurately critiqued. However, a lack of experience does not mean that these prospects do not have upside.

The next trade proposal is a little easier to stomach, but I’m sure fans will still find a reason to be upset with it.