Braves Pitching Prospect Named Potential Trade Candidate

Multiple MLB.com writers see the Atlanta Braves No. 2 prospect as potential trade candidate this offseason

The Braves No. 2 prospect has been named a stong trade candidate / David Banks-Imagn Images

The Atlanta Braves are stocked up on pitching talent in their top-30 prospects list from 2024. At this point, it would be a shock if nobody is moved over the offseason to aid the Braves' quest to make important upgrades in the lineup and in the starting rotation. 

While teams have been reported to be looking into Braves pitching prospect Hurston Waldrep (No. 3 prospect), the Braves have made it clear he’s not going anywhere. Caminiti (No. 1 prospect) was also deemed unlikely to be moved.

So, someone has to go if the trade partner wants prospects. This leaves pitcher AJ Smith-Shawver as the best prospect who could be traded. 

Braves writer for MLB.com Mark Bowman wrote that Smith-Shawver is a solid candidate to be traded since the other top three prospects are near untouchable this offseason. 

“With Caminiti and Waldrep in the unlikely-to-be-moved category, AJ Smith-Shawver (Braves' No. 2 and MLB No. 97) might be the pitching prospect who is most attractive to other teams,” Bowman wrote. 

Fellow MLB.com writer Mark Feinsand concurred with Bowman in his piece on potential trade candidates for each team, in which he named the 22-year-old righty as the Braves’ piece. 

He went one step further and showed why Smith-Shawver could be the trade piece over prospect catcher Drake Baldwin, who was named the Braves top prospect by Baseball America. 

“Many teams have unsuccessfully tried to land the club's No. 3 prospect RHP Hurston Waldrep, who might fall into the untouchable category,” Feinsand wrote. “No. 5 prospect C Drake Baldwin is Atlanta’s second-most-attractive trade piece, but following Travis d’Arnaud’s departure, the Braves might be hesitant to reduce depth at this premium position. But you have to give to get, so Smith-Shawver (the Braves No. 2 prospect and No. 97 on MLB Pipeline’s Top 100) could be used as a trade chip, as Atlanta needs an outfielder, another veteran starter and a high-leverage reliever.”

Smith-Shawver’s Major League experience is still a small sample size. In the regular season, he’s made seven appearances, six of them starts, for 29 2/3 innings pitched. He’s also made two postseason appearances, one of them a start in the 2024 Wild Card series. 

His regular season appearances have produced a 3.64 ERA. However, those postseason appearances saw him give up six earned runs over a combined four innings. 

But the Braves have shown confidence in his abilities with the opportunities he has been given. If not for his injury following his only regular-season start in 2024, he would have been the rookie to get the shot in the rotation over Spencer Schwellenbach. 

While he’s still working on his command, a young pitcher with MLB experience in the regular season and postseason could prove to be an attractive acquisition for MLB clubs. 

Smith-Shawver brings a fastball with a “plus” rating (65) and an above-average slider (55) according to his MLB.com prospect page.