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Atlanta Braves: Is Brian Dozier Heading to Atlanta?
Brian Dozier is a name that has been tossed around throughout the trade rumors as of late. With several high-end ball clubs needing a second baseman, Dozier being dealt out of Minnesota seems inevitable. Could the rebuilding Atlanta Braves sneak in to trade talks?
Brian Dozier is the best power hitting second baseman in MLB, despite how odd that seems. Of course there are all-around better hitters at the position – Jose Altuve, Robinson Cano, and Daniel Murphy are some examples. However, Dozier led all second basemen in home runs last season, and ranked third in runs batted in. With pretty solid defending, Dozier saw himself rank as the third most valuable second baseman according to Fangraphs WAR.
Therefore, Dozier would serve as an instant boost to any big league ball club he joins. Dozier originally seemed to be a Twin as long as he possibly could, with young guys like Miguel Sano and Byron Buxton, Dozier would have served as a middle ground between veteran and youngster. But, trade talks have picked up, and with the Twins being in no situation to win it would be wise to deal Dozier.
The great part about this deal for the Twins is the teams seeking Dozier’s talents are desperate to have him. They are willing to overpay for Dozier in order to fill in that last piece to win the World Series. That is why the Dodgers have been heavily rumored to be in talks to acquire Dozier. Los Angeles has a massive hole at second base along with multiple high level prospects to be dealt. Dozier to Los Angeles seems like the perfect deal, but as of late that may not be the case.
Was told by source w/direct knowledge not to rule out #Braves as stealth landing spot for Dozier. Excess young arms (Wisler, Blair) w/upside
— Mike Berardino (@MikeBerardino) January 6, 2017
What Mike Berardino is stating isn’t all that far-fetched. Well before this, I declared that a deal for Dozier would help Atlanta return to the postseason. Atlanta, having a much deeper prospect pool than Los Angeles, would be the perfect candidates to swipe Dozier away. Although signing Sean Rodriguez already, Dozier could fit into second base, sliding Rodriguez into a potential platoon at third.
However, all of this brings together the question – which team is the better fit for Brian Dozier?
Arguably, both teams have equal need for Dozier. The Dodgers need to fill that gaping hole at second base, and while they don’t need a player of Dozier’s caliber he would instantly spark their championship chances. Atlanta needs star-studded producers alongside Julio Teheran, Freddie Freeman, and Dansby Swanson. Dozier would be the perfect puzzle piece to fit together a young core group of players.
What do you think? Which team is more likely to secure Dozier’s talents, and which team would benefit more? Would it be the Braves, Dodgers, Twins, or an outside team that hosts Dozier in 2017?
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