Former All-Star Named Braves Top Offseason Trade Candidate

Bleacher Report's Tim Kelly named a 2023 All-Star the most likely player that the Atlanta Braves will trade this offseason.

Atlanta Braves shortstop Orlando Arcia / Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Baseball pundits have connected the Atlanta Braves to a couple different potential shortstop upgrades early this offseason. If the Braves do execute a transaction to acquire another shortstop, veteran Orlando Arcia will immediately become expendable.

Apparently, Bleacher Report's Tim Kelly believes the hype surrounding the possibility the Braves add a new shortstop. Because on his new list of one MLB player "most likely" to be traded from every team, Kelly named Arcia for the Braves.

"Arcia was an All-Star for the Braves in 2023, hitting 17 home runs with 65 RBI and stepping up after Dansby Swanson departed in free agency. He homered 17 times again in 2024, but he did so with just a .625 OPS. The Braves may need more consistent offensive production from the position," wrote Kelly.

"If Alex Anthopoulos finds an upgrade at shortstop via free agency or trade, Arcia—who is due just $2 million in 2025 and has a $2 million club option for 2026—could become a trade target. He would fit with some lesser teams looking for a shortstop, or a contender that believes he could be a jack-of-all-trades fifth infielder."

Other than home runs, Arcia's offensive production dipped across the board in 2024. He had fewer hits, doubles, RBI and runs last season than in 2023. Arcia's batting average, on-base percentage and slugging percentage all significantly dropped too.

The fall in Arcia's production actually began during the second half of 2023. After hitting .294 with a .769 OPS in 68 games during the first half of 2023, he posted a .235 batting average and .713 OPS in 71 contests after the All-Star break.

In September and October of 2023, Arcia hit .200 with a .575 OPS.

Arcia may be due for an offensive bounce back season in 2025. His .218 batting average and .625 OPS from this past season were significantly below his career norms, and he's only 30 years old.

But he's also not likely to replicate his early 2023 numbers, which he couldn't maintain for an entire season anyway.

For that reason, it wouldn't be surprising if the Braves add an upgrade at shortstop.

It's probably worth noting that at the very beginning of the offseason, Bleacher Report called outfielder Jorge Soler the Braves' top trade candidate. The Braves traded him to the Los Angeles Angels on Oct. 31.

That can be taken one of two ways -- Bleacher Report was previously correct in their Braves top trade candidate prediction. Or, Arcia is not really Atlanta's top trade candidate this offseason -- he is now, by default, because the Braves already dealt their top trade chip.