Braves rumors: Mets interested in trading for Arodys Vizcaino, per report

One area of the club that the Braves seem to have a good handle on is the bullpen. With guys like Jim Johnson, Mauricio Cabrera, Arodys Vizcaino, Ian Krol, and others already in the fold and help in the minors coming in the form of AJ Minter, Akeel Morris, and others...the Braves have to feel pretty good about their bullpen in both its depth and quality.

As a result, it isn’t surprising that John Coppolella and co. would at least explore trading a piece or two to get back some prospects especially with the going rate for reliever skyrocketing these days. The Braves did trade Shae Simmons away, but the latest rumor is interesting to say the least.

It goes without saying that trades with division rivals are complicated and often involve price premiums. While the Braves have made trades with the Mets recently (in particular sending Kelly Johnson there twice in exchange for real prospects which still blows my mind), usually it is hard to sell a club on improving a team that competes with you directly for a playoff spot.

For Vizcaino, he likely wouldn’t come super cheap given how affordable he is, his three full seasons of team control, and how effective he has been since rejoining the Braves. While some of his peripherals certainly went up including his walk rate and FIP, his strikeout rate also jumped in 2016 over his 2015 season and he could be primed for a breakout season.

In short, Mets....send us your Confortos and Rosarios. I’m sure Coppy can sign Kelly Johnson and throw him in the deal if that makes you happy.