Atlanta Braves: Could Buster Posey join the team in 2019?

The Atlanta Braves will be in the market for a catcher this offseason. Could Buster Posey be the answer?

In one of the more shocking developments this season, it appears likely that the Atlanta Braves will begin September as the leaders of the NL East. However, despite their miraculous season thus far, their window to win is only just beginning.

Veterans Freddie Freeman and Nick Markakis have produced excellent seasons, but lots of the Braves’ success can be attributed to their budding stars. Ronald Acuna and Ozzie Albies, in particular, have turned in outstanding seasons. As Acuna and Albies gain experience and the Braves’ other top prospects reach the majors, Atlanta will only improve.

Although the Braves are currently in the heat of the pennant race, it is fair to take a glance towards the future, when they will have an even better shot at competing for a World Series title.

One of the only positions that Atlanta does not have an obvious long-term solution for is catcher. Add in the fact that Tyler Flowers and Kurt Suzuki are both set to become free agents at season’s end, and Alex Anthopoulos may want to acquire a controllable catcher this offseason.

Perhaps Anthopoulos has already begun the search. Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe recently reported that the Braves had inquired about Buster Posey prior to the non-waiver trade deadline. The two sides obviously failed to agree to a deal, but Atlanta’s interest is intriguing.

Could the Giants actually trade Posey? The question seems outlandish at the surface, but it may not be too far-fetched.

San Francisco is in a tricky spot as an organization. They have an aging core and an underwhelming farm system, not to mention Madison Bumgarner is only under team control for one more year. Trading Posey could replenish their farm system, and Atlanta certainly has the prospects to deal.

Even with this in mind, a trade appears extremely unlikely. Posey is the face of the Giants and one of the best players in baseball, meaning it would take a historic haul to pry him out of San Francisco.

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To make matters even more complicated, there is not an obvious spot for Posey in Atlanta. He would be a terrific fit at catcher for a year or two, but his future is likely at first base. The 31-year-old backstop has suffered several significant injuries throughout his career and is currently set to miss the remainder of 2018 once he undergoes hip surgery.

In San Francisco, Posey will be able to move to first base when Joey Bart is ready in a couple years. Atlanta, on the other hand, already has Freeman at first base. Unless the Braves would be willing to move Freeman back to third base, Posey is not a great fit.

Another thing to keep in mind is that Posey has a full no-trade clause. He was born and raised about three hours south of Atlanta and lives in Georgia in the offseason, but he seems to enjoy San Francisco as well. The Braves would likely be one of the few teams, if any, that he would waive his no-trade clause for, but that is no guarantee.

All things considered, Buster Posey appears destined to remain a member of the San Francisco Giants. As fun as it may be to dream about him playing for the Atlanta Braves alongside Freeman, Acuna, and Albies, it is just a dream.