If you were looking for a juicy Braves rumor ahead of the MLB lockout, we’ve got you covered. According to Mark Berman of Fox 26 Houston, the Braves are one of several teams that have been in contact with All-Star shortstop Carlos Correa.
Now, this would be crazy, especially since the Braves have Dansby Swanson under contract for next season. I wouldn’t say it’s likely to happen, but I also don’t think it’s impossible.
Under Alex Anthopoulos, the Braves have been linked to some superstars like Manny Machado and Bryce Harper. Ultimately, they were unwilling to give them the mega-contracts that they received from the Padres and Phillies, respectively, but perhaps the payroll really will spike after a full season with fans and a World Series title. Based on what Seager received from the Rangers, Correa could sign for something like ten years, $350 million. That doesn’t seem like something the Braves would do, but the future at shortstop is cloudy.
Swanson is only under contract for one more season and is scheduled to make around $10 million in 2022. The Braves have to be considering extending him, but they also might not want to commit to him long-term. The problem with that is the organization doesn’t have any shortstop prospects on the cusp of being major-league ready. Enter Carlos Correa. He would be a tremendous upgrade over Swanson, who they could easily trade, and show the team is dedicated to winning multiple championships. Still, I find it highly unlikely, given this would also mean the Braves probably wouldn’t be able to re-sign Freddie Freeman.
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