Deadline Day: Live Trades and Braves Analysis Here

May 24, 2014; St. Petersburg, FL, USA; Boston Red Sox relief pitcher

(30) throws a pitch during the fifteenth inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field.  Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Andrew Miller to the Orioles

This one is painful. The one target that the Braves have wanted all along is now gone – and they simply could not compete with all of the others out there that wanted to upgrade their own bullpens.

The Baltimore Orioles have made a trade with the very busy Red Sox within their own division to obtain the best lefty reliever in the game in exchange for lefty pitching prospect Eduardo Rodriguez.

WHO WINS: Don’t know yet. Probably Boston, the way it’s been going.  Rodriguez is the 3rd-ranked Oriole prospect, expected to be a mid-rotation starter in the next couple of years.  The Braves’ equivalent would be David Hale… so that’s a pretty steep price.

IMPACT ON THE RACE: Baltimore needed bullpen help – seems to be a perennial thing with them – and this is the best upgrade they could make, so this could very well carry them to the AL East title.

IMPACT ON OTHER TRADES: Seattle and Atlanta are now competing for the services of Neal Cotts from Texas.

IMPACT TO THE BRAVES: Could be significant. There are a few lefties still available, but this was the big one, and the best performer against left-hand hitters (which is kinda the point). If they can’t get Neal Cotts now, then perhaps the Cubs might take mercy upon us and sell James Russell.

Nah. Not likely.