The Atlanta Braves raised some eyebrows early in the week when calling up catcher Sandy Leon and designating outfielder Stuart Fairchild for assignment.
Sending the DFA'ing Fairchild made sense with Luke Williams and Eli White already on the bench. Having a speedy pinch-running option who is a liability at the plate is a role the organization has already filled. With Jurickson Profar's return at the end of June, there was simply little reason to continue holding Fairchild in a position where he wasn't offering any value.
With this in mind, the team finding a trade partner and officially parting ways won't come as a surprise.
Braves Turn the Page From Struggling Stuart Fairchild with Rays Trade
On Wednesday, MLB Trade Rumors' Steve Adams reported that the Braves have traded Fairchild to the Tampa Bay Rays in exchange for cash to help bolster the latter's outfield depth.
Injuries have put the Rays in a position to search for surprise bench options as Tampa continues to attempt to get back to full strength. It offers Fairchild a fresh start and perhaps a chance to turn the corner and put together a better resume. The numbers in Atlanta were underwhelming, setting up the team to pivot in a different direction at the first opportunity.
In 28 games with the Braves, Fairchild was only slashing .216/.273/.333 with two RBIs and four walks without a home run across 51 at-bats.
Atlanta's current outfield from left to right is Profar, Michael Harris, and Ronald Acuña Jr, so there simply isn't a reason to carry both White and Fairchild behind this trio. This is especially the case as long as Marcell Ozuna is on the roster.
While the veteran designated hitter is a defensive liability, manager Brian Snitker can put Ozuna or Williams in the outfield if an emergency were to arise. It isn't as if the roster doesn't have remaining options if a starter and White were somehow both lost in the same game.
With this in mind, trading Fairchild is a solid decision and likely invites more trade speculation before next week's deadline. Someone like veteran catcher/designated hitter Sean Murphy is someone who's been involved in trade deadline rumors, and it wouldn't be surprising if other names follow suit.
At the same time, a lot can change in a week, meaning it remains to be seen if trading Fairchild is just the first of many moves to come in the Braves' immediate future.