The Atlanta Braves have struggled immensely this season. One of their star players is having a terrible year, and the Braves could be forced to make a drastic decision on him.
Michael Harris II signed an eight-year, $72 million deal with the Braves in 2022. The deal includes two club options, meaning he is under club control through 2032. However, he is slashing just .237/.265/.343 with four home runs. Last season, he dealt with an injury and did not have his best season, but still managed to be a productive player.
Right now, Harris is doing more damage to the Braves than for the Braves. FanSided's Mitchell Barbee suggested that the Braves do the "unthinkable" and option Harris so he can find his swing again.
"The Braves desperately need to get Harris back on track, but if the lefty continues to look as lost as he does at the plate, they might have no option but to send him down for 10 days to get his swing back on track," wrote Barbee. "While sending down a cornerstone piece this late into their career is rare, it's not unprecedented. When the Braves optioned Jeff Francoeur down in 2008, he was also in his fourth season in the bigs. His .234/.287/.374 slashline was slightly better than what Harris is hitting now, mostly due to the fact that his power had not completely evaporated."
The Braves are running out of time to be patient. The team is 27-37, and 14 games out of the National League East lead. They are staring at a Wild Card berth as their best shot at October baseball, but are still 9 1/2 games out of a Wild Card spot. If things do not turn around fast, the Braves will be sellers at the deadline.
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Harris's defense has been phenomenal. He has six outs above average, according to Baseball Savant. He also has a DRS of five on the season. However, he needs to start swinging the bat better if the Braves want any chance of making a late-season push.
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