It feels like the Atlanta Braves are trapped in the movie "Groundhog's Day" this season. Every week, they have to figure out how to deal with an injury from the week before, get things somewhat settled, and then someone else gets hurt. Whit Merrifield's injury situation is a perfect example of this as he got hit in the head by a pitch on Wednesday, thankfully dodged an IL stint from that, but then promptly fouled a ball off his foot and suffered a fracture.
The update on Merrifield was plenty weird, as when you see the word "fracture," that almost always means a player is headed for the injured list for a while. However, doctors apparently told him and the Braves that he couldn't do any more damage by playing, so there was a chance that he could play next weekend if he could tolerate the pain.
However, the Braves aren't taking any chances as they went out and traded for Cavan Biggio in a rare late-season move.
The Braves acquired Cavan Biggio in a minor-league trade with the Giants. He wouldn’t be eligible for the postseason.
— Justin Toscano (@JustinCToscano) September 8, 2024
Braves swing trade for Cavan Biggio to try and help stop the bleeding
For those wondering, this trade was only possible because Biggio has been in the minor leagues since he signed with the Giants in August. The trade deadline marks the end of the deals involving guys on big league rosters and any player acquired after September 1st isn't eligible for the postseason, but minor league trades are still very much on the table. Atlanta is only giving up cash in the deal.
The good news is that Biggio has been a good player in the past as he was one of the Blue Jays' best young prospects at one point. He also plays in the infield which, considering Merrifield and Ozzie Albies' uncertain statuses, has a lot of value to the Braves over the next few weeks from a depth perspective.
That is pretty much the end of the good news, though, and Braves fans really need to pump the brakes if they think Biggio is going to save them just because his dad was a Hall of Famer. Since the start of 2021, he has averaged a .675 OPS and .217 batting average while showcasing bottom-of-the-scale batted ball profiles and a total lack of arm strength in the field. In short, there is a reason why the Blue Jays gave up on him this year and he has bounced around the league ever since. Yes, he is a familiar name, but he is more a "last resort" than a player who is going to move the needle.