Which Braves player has the highest trade value?

The Braves are not selling. They’re expected to be among the most aggressive buyers over the next eight days leading up to the trade deadline. However, FanGraphs recently released its ranking of the top 50 players in baseball by trade value, which sparks some very intriguing discussions.

Now, keep in mind there’s a lot more that goes into trade value than just who’s the best player in baseball. The contract tied to a player is often even more important, and age and projectability are two significant factors as well. Surprisingly, only three Braves made the list — Ronald Acuña Jr. at #43, Michael Harris II at #41, and the Brave with the highest trade value according to FanGraphs, Drake Baldwin, coming in at #31.

“Baldwin is the second of the three catchers in this group, which means you’ll have to wait for tomorrow to see who I like most out of the trio (or just guess, I don’t think it’s a huge mystery),” Ben Clemens writes. “The latest in a long line of Atlanta prospects who have comfortably outperformed their draft pedigree and exploded onto the big league scene, he became the team’s primary catcher when former Trade Value stalwart Sean Murphy started last year on the IL and he hasn’t looked back.”

Dillon Dingler was the catcher ranked just ahead of Baldwin that Clemens was referring to, and that’s not unfair given how Dingler has performed this season. That said, I think we might be having a different conversation had Baldwin not suffered an oblique injury in the middle of the season. Not only did it keep him out of the lineup for more than a month, but he really struggled to find his footing once he returned. That’s not the case any longer. Over his last 18 games, Baldwin is hitting close to .400 with an OPS approaching 1.200.

Ronald Acuña Jr. coming in at #43 is definitely going to turn some heads. Clemens even noted the lowest he’s ever had him on this list before is 11th, and had him first back in 2020. But at this very moment, Acuña’s trade value is nearly impossible to judge. A lot of teams wouldn’t even seriously consider engaging in conversations with the Braves because of the asking price and his injury history. On the flip side, it only takes one team willing to gamble on the talent, and there would certainly be a handful of clubs willing to take that risk.

If the Braves ever were to entertain offers, I’m pretty confident they’d still get whatever the hell they wanted — more than they would for Michael Harris II or Drake Baldwin.

Speaking of Harris, what a difference a year makes. He couldn’t hit water in the ocean a season ago, but one minor adjustment to his stance in the second half led to much better results that have carried into 2026. He looks like one of the best center fielders in baseball again, and the Braves have him under team control through 2032. He’ll be much higher on this list next year if the success continues.

The only somewhat surprising omission from the Braves’ perspective is Matt Olson. That’s obviously due to his age — he’s 32. But this is arguably the best first baseman in baseball, and he’s under team control through 2030 at a more than palatable $22 million per season. He’d command an absurd haul if the Braves were to make him available right now.

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