The Marlins may have a shortstop who fits the Braves’ wish list almost too neatly.
Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald reported that Miami could be willing to entertain strong offers for Otto Lopez and Xavier Edwards this winter, even if neither player is currently being shopped. Jackson wrote, “Though the Marlins aren’t believed to be shopping Lopez or Edwards, neither player is considered untouchable. If a team is willing to offer a lot in return, Miami would listen.”
For Atlanta, Lopez checks a lot of boxes. The Braves have spent the last half-decade looking for a real answer at shortstop, and Lopez brings the kind of profile that could make sense in that spot. He’s been excellent defensively, piling up 14 outs above average and six defensive runs saved, and he just posted the best offensive season of his career by hitting .305 with a league-leading 191 hits.
The power isn’t the selling point. Lopez hit 11 home runs this season and has 32 in his career, but that lighter punch is offset by the value he brings as a high-average hitter who doesn’t give away at-bats with strikeouts. That kind of approach could matter for a Braves offense that has leaned heavily on the home run and too often found itself searching for runs against top pitching in the postseason.
That said, Miami is not expected to move him cheaply. Jackson noted that the Marlins would need a massive return, especially with Lopez under team control for three more years. They were close enough to contention this season to justify keeping him if the offers don’t get serious fast.
Trading him inside the division would not be ideal for Miami, but it wouldn’t be unprecedented. The Marlins have already made major deals with the Phillies twice, sending J.T. Realmuto and Jesus Luzardo to Philadelphia.
Lopez is hardly the only shortstop who could surface in trade talk this winter. Kerry Miller of Bleacher Report recently connected the Braves to Angels shortstop Zach Neto. Corey Seager and Astros shortstop Jeremy Peña are also names to watch.
The free-agent market at shortstop is thin, which is why trade season may be the Braves’ best route to finally solving one of their longest-running problems. If they want a real upgrade, this offseason may be the time to swing for it.
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