Atlanta Braves trade talk: Could a WBC star be an answer at shortstop?

With the Atlanta Braves making the decision to option both Vaughn Grissom and Braden Shewmake to Triple-A to start the season, could there be an opening at shortstop for a player who proved himself in the World Baseball Classic and also has MLB time with the Colorado Rockies?

Atlanta Braves trade talk: Could Alan Trejo make sense at shortstop?

While Orlando Arcia is expected to be the Opening Day shortstop in Atlanta with Ehire Adrianza serving as his backup and a utility infielder, it’s clear that the Braves were hoping to see more from Grissom this spring. However, some productive at-bats and time in the field in Triple-A combined with a slot start from Arcia could mean a quick trip back to Atlanta for Grissom.

Perhaps more interesting is the spot that will be held by Adrianza, who has yet to be placed on Atlanta’s 40-man roster. Last season in very limited time (16 plate appearances with the Braves), Adrianza posted a .154/.313/.231 slash line with a trio of strikeouts and walks.

This is where there potentially could be an opportunity for Trejo, who proved to have all of the tools necessary for an MLB shortstop during his time serving in that capacity for Mexico during the World Baseball Classic.

While Trejo did struggle at the plate during the WBC (striking out in 10 of his 20 plate appearances while posting a .150/.292/.150 slash line), he did have some solid moments, including an RBI single against the United States.

Those numbers are well below what the 26-year-old Trejo posted last season with Colorado, slashing .271/.312/.424 with four home runs and 17 RBI in 35 games. That includes the final 24 games of the season (with 21 of those as a starter in place of the injured Jose Iglesias) where he produced at a .291/.341/.468 clip with three homers and 11 RBI.

Trejo is caught in a logjam in Colorado, with heralded prospect Ezequiel Tovar expected to start at shortstop and veteran Ryan McMahon moving from third base to second base with the loss of Brendan Rodgers to injury. Playing time will be hard to come by for Trejo, who is projected by FanGraphs to be a part of Colorado’s bench unit for Opening Day.

Could a swap for Trejo help give the Braves additional depth up the middle and more pop than Adrianza, who has 21 home runs in his 10-year MLB career? Colorado and Atlanta just made a trade in November that netted the Braves outfielder Sam Hilliard. Could another one between the teams be beneficial as well?

With Trejo blocked for the foreseeable future in Colorado (and not scheduled to be a free agent until the 2029 season), it might be worth a call to see what it would take to give the Atlanta Braves another option at shortstop to begin the season.