Alex Anthopoulos has proven his high aptitude for evaluating talent and making roster decisions. He's excelled in the trade department, especially in the offseason, and has been able to trade for valuable talent and extend them immediately.
"Winning" trades is fairly subjective as each side could view things differently. But there have been many times the Braves have outdone their trade partners. One of the first moves that comes to mind is when the team traded for Dansby Swanson, Ender Inciarte, and Aaron Blair in 2015. The Diamondbacks received Shelby Miller and Gabe Speier in return and Miller never performed well while Speier was traded away to the Royals three years later. That felt like the biggest heist in recent Braves history.
That was before Alex Anthopoulos came to town and since then, he's been a wizard at getting trades done that favor Atlanta. He's made many great moves and the 2021 trade deadline is the masterpiece that helped bring a World Series title home.
However, this offseason, AA made a deal that could become the biggest heist of his career so far. The Braves and Red Sox agreed to a trade that sent Vaughn Grissom to Boston in exchange for eight-time All-Star, Chris Sale.
Chris Sale's 3Ks in the 1st. pic.twitter.com/EjS8OCANQ0
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) August 7, 2024
Braves trade for Chris Sale could be one of Alex Anthopoulos' biggest scores as GM
Atlanta was in major need of a starter that could give them meaningful innings with playoff experience. The Braves front office had no idea how important he would become in 2024 as they lost Spencer Strider for the season after only two games.
Sale has become the ace of the staff as he has returned to his former self after a healthy and complete offseason. He had struggled with health issues for several seasons but it seemed he was finally able to turn the corner.
Anthopoulos somehow convinced the BoSox to send him to Atlanta and covered $17 million of his salary which ended up being fully covered. Sale inked a two-year extension soon after which changed his salary to $16 million for 2024 and $22 million in 2025. This also included a club option for a third season valued at $18 million.
Chris Sale has been incredible for the Braves with a 13-3 record and a 2.75 ERA through 127.2 innings pitched. He's struck out 165 batters which is fourth most in baseball and his metrics are outstanding this season as he is excelling in almost every category.
Just in case you needed a reminder of how incredible Chris Sale has been for the Braves this season. pic.twitter.com/HHTFlS4QRB
— Steven Teal (@realteal09) August 8, 2024
Vaughn Grissom has simply not had a good time for the Red Sox in 2024. He started the season on the IL and when he debuted for Boston, it wasn't pretty. The former Braves prospect played in 23 games and accrued a putrid line of .148/.207/.160 with a wRC+ of 0. Unfortunately, he landed on the IL again and is currently completing a rehab assignment. But, there's belief that the Red Sox will option him to Triple-A to finish the 2024 season.
He's not been available much this season and when he has been, it's been hard to watch. Grissom is having the experience many Braves fans were concerned would happen with Sale. Luckily, that hasn't happened and he's been a wonderful addition.
It appears that Atlanta has prevailed early on with this exchange but there's still time for Grissom to blossom into a great player as he is under control with Boston through 2029. However, for now, Alex Anthopoulos has yet again struck gold.