Grading the Atlanta Braves Wild Trade Deadline Moves

The Atlanta Braves made headlines with several deadline moves to strengthen the outfield and bullpen for a postseason run.

Alex Anthopoulos and the Atlanta Braves were quiet as usual before making moves. The first trade came through around three hours before the trade deadline and was followed up by three more to close out the day.

So how did the Braves do?

Eddie Rosario for a Panda

The Braves got the day started by acquiring slugging outfielder Eddie Rosario!

Rosario is not having the best year, currently hitting .254/.296/.389 with 7 home runs, 29 runs, 46 RBI, 9 steals, .296 wOBA, 84 wRC+. However, for his career, he is a .275/.308/.470 hitter with a career .327 wOBA and 104 wRC+.

He is no superstar by any means, but a solid depth option to fill out a lineup with power. His power numbers could go up with the Chop House in right field as he is a lefty power bat. If he figures out his swing, he could turn his game around and get back to the player who blasted 32 home runs in 2019.

Defensively, he is solid in left field, sporting a 2 DRS in 598.2 innings there this year for Cleveland.

He is currently on the 10-day IL and is a free agent after the season.

A Familiar Face Returns at the Trade Deadline

Adam Duvall has come home to the Braves.

In 2021, Duvall is hitting .229/.277/.478 with 22 home runs, 41 runs, 68 RBI, 5 steals, .319 wOBA, and a 104 wRC+. Check out his home and road splits from this year though:

• Home: 43 games- .199/.232/.397 .267 wOBA 75 wRC+
• Road 46 games- .259/.320/.557 .368 wOBA 130 wRC+

Getting him out of Miami for half of his games could do wonders for his offensive output.

Also, Duvall usually projects as a lefty killer but this year he has reverse splits. Against lefties, Duvall has a 69 wRC+ and a 116 wRC+ against right-handers. Hopefully, this trend will continue, and Duvall will receive regular playing time for the Braves.

Defensively, Duvall is still a stud. He has a 12 DRS in 689 innings across all outfield positions in 2021. He has primarily played right field though, with a 9 DRS in 519 innings.

Duvall carries a mutual $7 million option for 2022 that includes a $3 million buyout.

Hopefully Alex Jackson figures it out in Miami. The early returns in the major leagues have been rough with a career line of .070/.200/.093 and a -24 wRC+.

A Bit of a Surprise

The Braves rarely let rumors get out about trades, but Jorge Soler was not on many people’s trade radars this deadline.

Soler is not having a great year overall, hitting .192/.288/.370 with 13 home runs, 38 runs, 37 RBI, a .290 wOBA, and an 81 wRC+. However, Soler has a lot of power potential. In 2019, he hit 48 home runs with a 136 wRC+!

He might be snapping out of his slump in July. The past month, he is slashing .226/.324/.597 with 7 home runs, 14 runs, and 9 RBI. This includes a .384 wOBA and a 144 wRC+.

If the Braves get that hitter over the next two months, this move could be the steal of the deadline.

Soler’s defensive… is not good. He has a -8 DRS in 345 innings this year. Basically, Soler should be a DH.

While he is a rental because he is a free agent in 2022, if the universal DH is in play next year, the Braves could potentially bring Soler back to fill that role.

The Braves gave up Kasey Kalich, a 23-year-old pitcher currently in high-A. He was experiencing a slight breakout season in Rome, so the Royals could be getting a nice piece back if Kalich does in fact continues his positive development.

Some Relief Help

The Braves acquired one of the more talked about bullpen options.

Rodríguez has been solid with a 2.82 ERA, 2.86 xERA, 2.58 FIP, 4.75 xFIP that includes 14 saves in 37 games for the Pirates.

There is some concern here though, going back to June 15th (the day MLB sent out the memo regarding sticky stuff), Rich Rod’s numbers are: 4.85 ERA, 3.85 FIP, 4.85 xFIP

Completely different man since June 15th. Sam Peebles wrote about him potentially using the foreign substances here.

Maybe it’s just a slump. The Braves do have control over Rodríguez for two more seasons.

The price was Bryse Wilson and Ricky Devito. Wilson a former top prospect who could never find a consistent spot in the Braves rotation. Devito is a lottery ticket who was having a breakout year before the injury.

Pretty Solid Day Overall

They have given themselves a shot to make a playoff run. As we all know, once a team makes the playoffs anything can happen. They did all this without mortgaging their future, which might be the best part of this year’s trade deadline.

It would have been nice to see one more reliever or a controllable impact bat, but Braves Country cannot be too upset with this year’s trade deadline.

Overall Grade: B+