Three trade hypotheticals for relievers

The four areas the Braves could stand to upgrade going into the trade deadline are the rotation, bullpen, shortstop, and left field. Yesterday, I came up with three trade hypotheticals for the top starting pitchers who could be available. Now it’s time to talk relievers.

Mason Miller

Braves receive: Mason Miller

Padres receive: Eric Hartman, Tate Southisene and Owen Murphy

Listen, do I think the Braves are going to seriously consider an offer like this? No. As good as Mason Miller is — one of the best relievers I’ve ever laid eyes on — Atlanta shouldn’t be in the business of trading its top two prospects for a reliever when the rotation is a far more pressing need.

That said, the Padres traded the #3 overall prospect in baseball last season to acquire Miller, who isn’t a free agent until 2030 and has a sub-1.00 ERA this season. They’re going to want a return on that investment if they’re going to trade him just a year later.

Hartman and Southisene are both top-100 prospects battling for the title of the Braves’ #1 prospect. Owen Murphy is another top-10 prospect in the organization who’s already major-league ready. This is the kind of haul I’d imagine the Padres are looking for to move Mason Miller, which is exactly why I don’t see it happening — at least not with the Braves involved.

Adrian Morejón

Braves receive: Adrian Morejón

Padres receive: Owen Murphy

The second reliever on the list is also from San Diego, but because he’s on an expiring deal, it’s a lot more likely the Padres would be willing to play ball. Over the last three seasons, Morejón has made 184 appearances, pitching to a 2.65 ERA. He’s a legitimate setup option in case Robert Suarez never finds the form he had in the first half, and he’s a perfect lefty to pair with Dylan Lee in the middle innings.

Murphy, meanwhile, could immediately help an ailing Padres rotation that is dealing with a multitude of injuries and searching for answers.

Jeff Hoffman

Braves receive: Jeff Hoffman

Blue Jays receive: Lucas Braun

The Braves nearly signed Jeff Hoffman a couple of offseasons ago, but a failed physical prevented that from happening. He ended up signing a three-year deal with the Blue Jays, where his results — from an ERA perspective — have been rather underwhelming.

However, his 2.59 FIP this season is much more encouraging. He’s also averaging a ridiculous 14 strikeouts per nine innings and really showed his worth last year during Toronto’s postseason run.

Because he’s still owed quite a bit of money this season and nearly $13 million next year, this could present a nice buy-low opportunity for the Braves, who shouldn’t have to send a top-tier prospect back to Toronto.

Braun is ranked the 8th-best prospect in the Braves system, according to MLB.com. He’s had more than respectable results between Double-A and Triple-A this season, recording a combined 3.46 ERA. But the Braves have a logjam of talented young arms between Triple-A and the majors. They’d probably be willing to part with one for a reliever who could help them win a championship this season, especially one who doesn’t carry quite the same upside as some of the other arms in their system.