Once upon a time, it seemed Drew Waters would be in Atlanta’s future outfield.
That idea ended on Monday, when the Braves traded Waters to the Royals – not for a player, but for a draft pick.
The Braves acquired the 35th overall pick in this year’s MLB Draft – which begins Sunday – for three minor leaguers. Along with Waters, the Braves sent the Royals right-hander Andrew Hoffman and infielder CJ Alexander.
This trade gives the Braves more options with how to handle this year’s draft. Sure, they have added bonus pool money and now have around $10.2 million to spend. But it was more about acquiring the No. 35 pick – which is a high draft pick that can be turned into a player with a high ceiling.
For the Braves, the appeal of this trade is where they’re picking. They have the No. 35 pick to go along with the No. 20 pick. They have five of the first 100 picks in this year’s draft. And if you have more opportunities at the top of the draft, you have a better chance of nailing those picks.
You could have envisioned the Braves eventually dealing Waters, who went to Etowah High in Woodstock. In late May, the Braves called up Michael Harris, who has experienced great success. He jumped Waters, who repeated Triple A for the Braves.
Waters’ highest value is as a center fielder. He’s seen as someone who can play the position in the majors right now. He just wasn’t going to do so for the Braves, who drafted him in the second round in 2017.
Waters has all five tools, but his bat has stalled. In 2021, he hit .240 with a .710 OPS over 404 at-bats in Triple A. At the same level this season, he had posted a .698 OPS over 191 at-bats before the trade. A hamstring injury slowed him earlier this season.
For the Braves, the question became: Use him in this trade or hang onto him for a deal closer to the deadline or in the future? His value could have risen next year, but the Braves are happy to have acquired such a high draft pick that could net them a player who eventually becomes a star or a major contributor. They didn’t need Waters.
MLB Pipeline had Hoffman, another minor leaguer in the trade, as the Braves’ No. 23 prospect. Drafted by Atlanta in the 12th round last year, he had a 2.36 ERA over 15 starts (80 innings) in High A this season. Opposing hitters were batting .217 against him.
The Braves like Hoffman. They view him as a strike-thrower with decent stuff, someone who might not be far from the majors.
The Braves’ scouting department – led by Dana Brown, the vice president for scouting – deserves credit for finding a talented player in a low round that the organization then used in this trade a year later. Of course, Hoffman should earn praise for his development.
Alexander, the third prospect in the trade, was seen as a throw-in piece. He had hit .258 with a .759 OPS over 271 at-bats at Double-A Mississippi. He had 15 home runs and 43 RBIs. He was a 20th-round pick in 2018.
The trade probably benefits both sides: The Braves, whose position in the standings means they regularly pick toward the end of the first round, got another high draft pick. The Royals received someone they can plug in at center field right now. With this change of scenery, Waters could blossom into a great everyday player. And Hoffman could help the Royals at some point.
The 35th pick is in Competitive Balance Round A, which occurs after the first round. Due to the pick being a competitive balance draft pick, the Royals were allowed to trade it. But those picks can only be dealt by the team that received them, meaning the Braves will use it in this year’s draft.
Acquiring the pick, which has a slot value around $2.2 million, means the Braves now have the 10th-highest bonus pool for the draft. They could deploy that money in different ways via various strategies, but they’re excited about having another high draft pick.
They could draft a player who will eventually player for them. Or that pick could be used to strengthen the big-league club through a trade, like the prospects the Braves used to acquire Matt Olson. There are different ways it could play out in the future.
But the No. 35 pick gives the Braves the chance to add more talent to their organization.
