Atlanta Braves reportedly shopping Markakis, Swisher

The Atlanta Braves are never done making deals. They are reportedly looking to move both RF Nick Markakis and 1B/OF Nick Swisher in likely salary dumps.

According to Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe, it seems that the Kansas City Royals have interest in possibly acquired Atlanta Braves right fielder Nick Markakis should the reigning World Series Champions not be able to re-sign All-Star left fielder Alex Gordon.

Markakis signed a four-year deal to play for his hometown team in the Atlanta Braves last offseason worth $44 million. Trading away the Woodstock native would add another name to the growing list of players the Atlanta front office dealt that grew up in Braves Country (Jason Heyward, Craig Kimbrel, Alex Wood, Cameron Maybin, to some capacity Andrelton Simmons).

-= Related: Shelby Miller trade makes Atlanta Braves better in 2016 =-

Nick Markakis would stand as a suitable replacement if Alex Gordon leaves KC and Atlanta would get both promising prospects and his $33 million of the books. I’m not saying that the Atlanta Braves would get Royals top prospect Raul Adalaberto Mondesi in return, but Markakis has the baseball savvy that KC would crave if they lost Gordon to free agency. I’d hear offers from KC, but losing Markakis wouldn’t sit well with some sectors of Braves Country.

On Friday, MLB.com’s Mark Bowman reported that the Atlanta Braves would like to move first baseman/outfielder Nick Swisher if they could. They will likely have to eat some of the $15 million salary that the Braves acquired in the deal that sent third baseman Chris Johnson to the Cleveland Indians.

Moving Swisher doesn’t seem as shocking, as the whole point of the deal was to remove Johnson’s salary from the books, as well as bringing back leadership in Swisher and outfielder Michael Bourn to the Atlanta Braves roster. Swisher is likely not an everyday player anymore and he will rarely see time at first base for the Braves if starter Freddie Freeman is healthy.

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Swisher can switch hit, but his left-handedness in the field is a bit of a challenge for the club as he would have to play in the outfield if he were to spot start. Look for Atlanta to send Nick Swisher back to the American League at some point between now and the MLB Trade Deadline in July.

The Atlanta Braves will continue to shape their ball club for the not-so distant future. We know that the farm system is bursting at the seams with promising talent, but the club does have to field something respectable for at least the first half of the 2016 MLB season, before probably blowing it up again near the MLB Trade Deadline.

Next: Freddie Freeman: Will Braves be good in back-end of deal?

With Atlanta still in flux with starting outfield talent, I’d feel skeptical about shipping both Nicks without getting a Major League outfielder in return, along with the prospects the front office feverishly covets.