On Sunday, the Atlanta Braves received word that Ha-Seong Kim, whom they signed to a one year, $20 million contract this winter, would be out for the next four to five months, potentially keeping him out until about May. In the 24 hours since, the club has signed Jorge Mateo to a one-year, $1 million deal as some insurance.
Mateo spent most of his limited time in the big leagues last year at either shortstop or center and racked up a .177 average with a .217 OBP across 43 games. That came out to a 33 wRC+. In fact, he’s never held a wRC+ above league average, topping out at an 87 back in 2024. In the field he’s been roughly league average at most positions across his career.
With Mateo’s struggles on both sides of the ball over his career, it’s certainly possible that Atlanta looks into an external option this winter, perhaps a shortstop, which could then lead them to slot Mauricio Dubón into the jack-of-all-trades role they’d envisioned for him before the Kim injury.
After Kim took Atlanta’s offer over the one from the A’s, could the green and gold come in and help out Atlanta? The A’s and Braves have had a history of making moves with one another in recent seasons, and this could be yet another opportunity for the two clubs to come together to address each other’s needs.
What would an A’s-Braves trade look like?
The A’s have a number of natural shortstops that will be in the mix for a roster spot in 2026, but only a couple of them are likely to make the team. Of course, Jacob Wilson will be the starting shortstop, and he’s not going anywhere. Behind him, the A’s also have Max Muncy and Darell Hernaiz, who will be battling for the starting spot at third base along with Brett Harris in camp.
There is no guarantee that the A’s move anyone, but it would make some sense to move some position player depth—particularly at short—in order to grab a veteran piece for 2026 and beyond. The A’s also have their top prospect, Leo De Vries, as another shortstop option for as soon as 2026, so they’ll be out of spots on the infield shortly, making a trade necessary either now or in the near future.
Of the A’s options, Hernaiz would seem like the most tradable one. Muncy has the higher upside, which could be why the A’s choose to keep him around, while Hernaiz has a nice floor with his glove. That glove has been the best at shortstop, his natural position. It’s also the one spot that he’s not likely to see much time at in green and gold with Wilson and then at some point, De Vries.
Hernaiz was putting together long, solid at-bats in his time at the big-league level last season, and there is some hope that he’ll continue to make strides in 2026. He could also be used as trade bait to land some pitching.
One name that stands out on the Braves roster is Bryce Elder, who has a career 4.58 ERA with a 4.40 FIP. The reason he stands out is because he’s out of options, which could make Atlanta more eager to move him before the start of the regular season.
He has solid command, running a 7.5% walk rate the past two years, and he’s been striking out roughly 20% of hitters in that span, too. They’re not numbers that will blow you away, but they’re solid. He’s also a huge ground ball pitcher with a 48.9% ground-ball rate last year, ranking him in the 79th percentile.
He may not be the exact player that the A’s would go for in a potential deal, but he’s been able to provide roughly league average performance while also racking up 150+ innings across levels the past four seasons. It also doesn’t hurt that he limits walks, which is something the A’s are always after.
This trade would take two players in Hernaiz and Elder who aren’t necessarily the favorites to land a role on their current rosters, and swap them for one another. The A’s could use some veteran starting pitching, while the Braves could use a short-term shortstop. It certainly has potential.
