The Atlanta Braves are in a tough spot after losing the reigning NL MVP in Ronald Acuña Jr. for the season, and J.P. Morosi told MLB Network what he’s been hearing about how the Braves could try to replace their superstar in the coming weeks.
Morosi says that the team plans to initially stay internal, but that the club could look at external options down the road. One of the options he mentioned was Brent Rooker of the Oakland A’s, who just so happens to be one of the best hitters in baseball during the month of May. Also on that list were Taylor Ward of the Angels, and Tommy Pham of the White Sox. Yet, given the A’s and Braves recent trade history, would anyone be surprised if yet another deal for an Oakland slugger came to pass?
On the season Rooker is batting .280 with a .365 OBP, 11 homers and 34 RBI. In May he’s batting .337 with a .416 OBP. So yeah, he could help a contending club.
While Rooker is the A’s best hitter, he’s also 29 years old, which means he may not be part of the team’s long-term plans–especially as the club tries to cut costs before their proposed relocation to Las Vegas. Rooker has yet to enter arbitration, which begins for him next season. That amount of team control should up the asking price in any potential trade discussion.
Last season Acuña hit 41 homers and swiped 73 stolen bases, truly making his mark on the game. There is no player that could replace him, whether they were available in a trade or not. That’s what makes the A’s an interesting trade partner for Atlanta this time around. If they really wanted to get creative, they could go after both Rooker, who hit 30 homers last season in the worst offense in baseball, plus try to bring in Esteury Ruiz, who stole 67 bags for the club a year ago and has been a role player for the team this season.
The trouble with any trade involving Rooker is that he is best suited for the DH spot, though he can play corner outfield if needed. Atlanta already has Macell Ozuna plugged into the DH spot, which would lead to one of those two players in the field, and that would end up hurting the outfield defense. At the same time, their bats make it worth running that risk.
From the A’s side, if this trade were to happen, it would be intriguing to find out if they mix up their strategy of going for quantity over quality in recent deals with a new ballpark supposedly on the horizon and the promise of big spending in the near future. Could Oakland go after one prospect they really believe in around the top-10 Braves prospects, or would they be looking to go for a group of two or three guys in the 10-20 range?
As we’ve said before, if the A’s are going to make some trades that the fan base isn’t going to like, like trading Rooker or Mason Miller, they may want to make those moves this season before they are attempting to show that they’re a different team to their new city (cities) in how they operate. Once they leave Oakland, they’re going to be expected to spend money and retain players, so the 2024 season is their last chance to get away with their old ways.
