MLB Trade Rumors: Braves Linked To Surprising Trade Target

Recent trade rumors have linked the Atlanta Braves to Baltimore Orioles' top prospect Heston Kjerstad, as noted by Jim Bowden of The Athletic and Zach Pressnell of Fansided, certainly a curious and skeptical rumor. 

Kjerstad, currently the fourth-ranked prospect in Baltimore's loaded system and the 21st-ranked in all of baseball, has been excelling in the minors with a standout season, boasting a .310/.395/.614 slash line, 14 home runs, 50 RBIs, two stolen bases, 42 runs scored and an OPS over 1.000. 

Death, taxes and Heston Kjerstad hitting opposite-field bombs in Triple-A pic.twitter.com/Gha0xDQaYY

— Jacob Calvin Meyer (@jcalvinmeyer) May 23, 2024

Given his high value and potential future impact, the idea of Kjerstad being traded is surprising.

The Braves, who are in dire need of an outfielder to replace the injured Ronald Acuña Jr., would need to offer significant talent to land such a prized prospect. 

Heston Kjerstad is putting up consistent metrics & counting stats playing everyday at Norfolk. The Orioles MLB OF is showing some signs of decline. Stowers and Cowser are getting the first shots to fix things. When will the opportunity come for Kjerstad? pic.twitter.com/zNEg6Tnsqi

— Florida Prospect Report (@FLProspectPod) June 9, 2024

This would likely involve trading an impact MLB player, making the scenario highly improbable. For the Orioles, parting with Kjerstad would necessitate a return akin to stars like Luis Robert Jr. or Kyle Tucker, making this trade more of a speculative suggestion than a realistic possibility, as noted by Pressnell.

For his minor-league career, the 25-year-old holds an impressive .306/.385/.526 triple-slash line, along with 40 home runs, 142 RBIs, eight stolen bases, and 174 runs scored over 235 games played.

Photo Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports