The Atlanta Braves have turned one player they claimed off of waivers and another they signed to a minor-league deal into a prospect who appeared in this month’s Futures Game. Even if one is skeptical of that prospect, as I am, acquiring a tooled-up middle infielder for two pieces you acquired at next to no cost represents a success for the rebuilding Braves. The newly acquired Travis Demeritte has an interesting set of tools undermined by one potentially fatal flaw that, if remedied, could make him a valuable everyday player.

Demeritte, who turns 22 in September, is hitting .272/.352/.583 with 25 home runs at High-A High Desert. He was suspended for 80 games in 2015 for use of a banned substance, the masking agent Furosemide. He also had a 25-homer season at Hickory in 2014. Both Hickory and High Desert, along with most of the rest of the Cal League, are power paradises. A study done by Baseball America’s Matt Eddy in 2015 found those two affiliates to be the most homer-friendly parks in there respective leagues. Though Demeritte has plus raw power projection, I think it’s fair to be skeptical of his in-game power performance’s sustainability.

The raw pop comes primarily from Demeritte’s plus bat speed and a big back-side collapse that creates uppercut in his swing. His footwork is aggressive and noisy and at times he strides down the third-base side, leaving him vulnerable on the outer half, though he’s still able to take the ball the other way exclusively with his hands. He has 11 opposite-field home runs so far this season, according to MLBfarm.com.

Many of the aspects of Demeritte’s swing and approach that allow for power — combined with below-average offspeed recognition — are contributing to his 33% strikeout rate. His swing can get long, though he does a decent job of moving his bat around the zone despite all of that effort. Demeritte has the physical tools to hit, so it’s possible some of what causes him to whiff so much can be ironed out, but it might come at the expense of his power which, for a middle infielder, is his most remarkable attribute.

Demeritte makes some athletic defensive plays and has a plus arm and, though his hands and actions remain works in progress, he’s improved over the last year. He should be an average defender at second at maturity, though reps at third and in the outfield might be part of his long-term developmental plan if he doesn’t make enough contact to be a regular. He’s an average runner.

I think there’s a strong chance Demeritte’s contact issues are a permanent blight on his value, though his power and modest up-the-middle profile make him an attractive flier, especially considering what Atlanta spent on the pieces they used to acquire him.