​Braves urged to part ways with ‘unplayable’ ex-Mets outfielder originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.The gap between the Atlanta Braves and other contending NL East clubs has shrunk significantly.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAs of Monday, the Philadelphia Phillies, who got off to a horrific 9-19 start, are just two games behind the Braves. After a hot June, the Miami Marlins are just four games back of first.After the All-Star break, Atlanta could make some adjustments to its roster to get back on track.One of the players they could consider trading and/or cutting ties with is designated hitter/outfielder Dominic Smith, writes FanSided’s Christopher Kline.”Smith is borderline unplayable in the field, especially with almost every first base dedicated to Matt Olson. He’s there to swing the bat, and right now, he’s doing so in a counterproductive way,” wrote Kline. “The Braves probably need to bite the bullet on the idea of Smith as a late-career breakout.”AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementSmith got off to a strong start in a Braves uniform, hitting .339 in April and .310 in May.But his bat has trended in the wrong direction since then. Smith had a .508 OPS with just one home run in June, and the first few weeks of July were even worse.MORE: What happened to Shohei Ohtani? Why Dodgers star won’t pitch tonight, or play in All-Star Game”Injuries have kept Smith locked in the DH spot, as Atlanta needs every functional right-handed bat it can get,” Kline added. “However, he has a .490 OPS since the calendar flipped to June.”Combine Smith’s lack of production with shortstop Ha Seong-Kim’s, and the Braves have two black holes in their lineup.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementNeedless to say, both players could see their way out of the door in Atlanta soon.Cubs ‘realistic’ trade idea sends Seiya Suzuki to the Mariners for Luis CastilloPhillies trade idea lands Jung Hoo Lee and Robbie Ray from Giants for 2 prospectsYankees trade idea sends Carlos Lagrange to Athletics for utilityman Zack GelofWhat did Blue Jays get for Tommy Nance? Twins send .855 OPS catcher prospect in tradeCardinals sign JJ Wetherholt to eight-year, $112.5 million contract extension