This past Monday, Atlanta Braves fans anxiously watched as the minutes counted down towards the 6:00 PM MLB trade deadline. Most fans fully expected at least one deal, but the one that sent backup outfielder Eli White to the Boston Red Sox caught most by surprise.
Although White's role as the right side of the left field platoon had been taken after Atlanta acquired Lane Thomas from the Kansas City Royals, his speed and defense seemed to still have a spot for the 32-year-old.
Instead, the Braves decided to cash in on the value White had, which took care of their impending roster crunch. While the Braves likely won't notice White's absence over the remaining two months of the regular seson, but this trade could come back to hurt them later on.
Eli White will be missed by Braves, just not right away
From an offensive standpoint, Thomas is a huge upgrade over White against left-handed pitching. This season, White had a .758 OPS against lefties with the Braves, while Thomas had a .799 OPS at the time of his acquisition. Thomas has also held his own much better against righties this season than White.
This swap made sense for Atlanta. However, White's other tools, defensively and on the bases, are not only superior to Thomas's, but also every other outfielder on the team not named Michael Harris II.
White has put up 8 DRS and 3 FRV this season in the outfield. Meanwhile Thomas has been worth -9 DRS and -3 FRV, Mike Yastrzemski has been worth 4 DRS and -2 OAA, and Ronald Acuña Jr. has been worth -2 DRS and -5 FRV. In the postseason, having White as a defensive replacement could have been the difference between advancing and going home.
White's 100th percentile sprint speed also could have served a critical role. Now, after designating Jorge Mateo for assignment and trading White, the Braves fastest pinch-running option on the 40-man roster is Brewer Hicklen, who is a full foot per second slower than White.
Of course, there are a few other speed options in the organization that could fill the pinch-runner role the Braves will certainly need in October, but White offered the certainty of both defense and speed, and that hole will only be noticeable when the games matter the most.
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