The Atlanta Braves need to find a way to take a step forward in the 2027 MLB season.
They had a great 2026 campaign but lost in the NLDS to the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Milwaukee Brewers may well end L.A.’s reign in the NLCS, but the Braves will be at home watching rather than still playing.
That raises the possibility of just about anything and everything for this offseason.
Analysts are already wondering whether the Braves would trade the likes of Ronald Acuna Jr. or Ozzie Albies.
But maybe more interesting is the idea of who the Braves could add. And a new name floated out there on Tuesday: Gunnar Henderson.
Braves Predicted to Trade for Gunnar Henderson
Henderson is the slugging superstar shortstop for the Baltimore Orioles.
And after another disappointing season in Baltimore, maybe Henderson could be available? Bleacher Report’s Zachary D. Rymer wrote in a new article on Tuesday that he thinks the Braves should pursue a deal for Henderson this offseason.
“Truth be told, there may not be a better time than this winter for the Baltimore Orioles to trade Gunnar Henderson,” Rymer writes. “… His 65 homers and 14.9 rWAR made him a superstar in 2023 and 2024. Across 2025 and 2026, those totals fell to 41 homers and 8.6 rWAR. The free-agent market is so barren, however, that other teams might just be willing to pay the Orioles’ price for Henderson rather than the price he’s actually worth. He’d indeed be a worthwhile project, given that he’s still just 25 years old and controlled through 2028. If the Braves don’t already have Henderson on their radar, they should. Their shortstop position has been unsettled for years, and it stands to be wide-open once Ha-Seong Kim and Mauricio Dubón file for free agency.”
Henderson’s power is still impressive, and he’s still smooth on the bases and in the field. Baltimore’s entire operation has seemed to hold its players back in recent seasons.
A fresh start in a high-end organization like the Braves could be exactly what he needs.
Gunnar Henderson Trade Cost
Henderson wouldn’t come cheap, and that’s where the Braves might get held up.
The ask, like the Tigers reportedly had for Tarik Skubal, could be young right-handed pitcher Didier Fuentes.
“According to Peter Abraham of The Boston Globe, the Braves weren’t willing to move Didier Fuentes in a rental trade for Tarik Skubal,” Rymer writes. “Would they reconsider if it meant getting Henderson for at least two years?”
Fuentes is promising, and the Braves clearly believe in his long-term potential.
Henderson could be the face of the franchise if he hits the ground running in Atlanta.
It’s a tough call, but if it truly ends up on the table, it’d be tough for the Braves to justify turning that chance down.
Braves Predicted to Trade for Orioles Superstar — But Could Cost Didier Fuentes