Inbox: Should Braves work to improve at 3rd?

I have been watching pieces come into place, but the Braves need to improve at third base. Don’t you agree? — G.T. Davis, Fayetteville, Tenn.

It might have been nice to think about adding Justin Turner to the lineup, but the Braves didn’t want to give up the Draft pick attached to his qualifying offer. They’d also likely have had to move one of their big contracts to create the payroll flexibility necessary to compete with the four-year, $64 million contract Turner signed with the Dodgers.

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Adonis Garcia produced a .784 OPS and .952 fielding percentage over his final 94 games, becoming at least a serviceable option as the Braves get a better feel for Rio Ruiz’s immediate value and the ETA for No. 14 prospect Austin Riley, who stands as the organization’s most likely long-term solution at the position.

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Could Braves general manager John Coppolella trade for a Major League-ready hitter? He seems to trade for pitchers and position players from the Class A level. — Virgil M., Hayesville, N.C.

I guess it depends on whether you consider Ender Inciarte, Dansby Swanson and Matt Kemp to be Major League-ready hitters. Yeah, a majority of the deals completed over the past two years have included pitching prospects, but the most immediately impactful moves within this rebuild have come courtesy of the trades that landed Inciarte, Swanson and Kemp, a trio that significantly influenced the Braves’ offensive success over this past season’s final two months.

Trading for an established hitter is not easy or cheap. So even if you’re a firm believer in Wins Above Replacement, I’ll ask: How would you rank the following three trades? The Nationals …

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