Things are heating up in Atlanta, and it’s not just the summer humidity—it’s the growing tension between an elite defense and a struggling offense. Braves fans are watching their team trot out Gold Glovers and vacuum-tight gloves night after night, but the scoreboard? Not exactly lighting up.
So what do you do when your defense is locked in, and your offense can’t quite keep up? That’s where 680 The Fan’s Chris Dimino stepped up to the mic and tossed out a curveball of his own.
Austin Riley in Left? Braves Have Done It Before
Dimino floated the idea of shifting third baseman Austin Riley to left field—a position he hasn’t played regularly—so the Braves could go big at the trade deadline and snag someone like, say, Alex Bregman from the Red Sox. Two-time All-Star. Gold Glove winner. Current owner of a .299 average and a .938 OPS in a season where he hasn’t played in a month.
Sounds out there, right? But it’s not without precedent. Barrett Sallee reminded listeners of the 2002 Braves moving Chipper Jones to left field to make room for Vinny Castilla. That shuffle lasted two seasons. The world didn’t end, and the Braves still contended. Sometimes, winning demands thinking outside the diamond.
A Bregman Boost Comes with Baggage
Let’s be real—bringing Bregman in wouldn’t be a clean swap. First, there’s the injury. He’s been sidelined for a month with a right quad strain, and there’s no guarantee he’ll be back before mid-July. That’s cutting it close to the deadline. But if he returns to form, Bregman gives you a middle-of-the-order bat and elite defense at third. And unlike a rental, he’s not walking away in October. He’s got options that could lock him in for two more years at $25 million per season.
The flip side? That contract carries a $31.7 million luxury tax hit. That’s not a small ask for a Braves club known for threading the financial needle. But as Dimino said—if the defense is great and you’re still not winning, it might be time to trade a little glove for a lot of bat.
What About Profar—and the Rest of the Roster?
Jurickson Profar was signed to lock down left field this offseason, and he’s coming back next week. But let’s be honest—we haven’t seen enough to say he’s the guy. Dimino’s take here is simple: we know what Riley brings, we know what Bregman brings, and there’s still a lot of unknown with Profar. Let’s not pretend depth is a luxury—this Braves team has battled injuries all season, and being able to rotate guys without dropping production is gold.
This isn’t about panicking. It’s about possibility. The Braves have shown time and again they’re not afraid to call around, check in on top-tier talent, and pull the trigger when the deal is right. They reportedly made a play for Rafael Devers before he landed in San Francisco, so is another call to Boston in order? Completely believable.
The trade deadline is coming fast. If Bregman proves healthy, the Braves have a choice to make: play it safe and hope the current lineup heats up—or make a bold, calculated shift and load up for October. Either way, this storyline just got a whole lot more interesting.
