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Atlanta Braves did well for themselves at the trade deadline

By Alan Carpenter

BALTIMORE, MD - JULY 28: Kevin Gausman #34 of the Baltimore Orioles pitches in the fifth inning during a baseball game against the Tampa Bay Rays at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on July 28, 2018 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images)
BALTIMORE, MD - JULY 28: Kevin Gausman #34 of the Baltimore Orioles pitches in the fifth inning during a baseball game against the Tampa Bay Rays at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on July 28, 2018 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images) /
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BALTIMORE, MD – JULY 28: Kevin Gausman #34 of the Baltimore Orioles pitches in the fifth inning during a baseball game against the Tampa Bay Rays at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on July 28, 2018 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images)
BALTIMORE, MD – JULY 28: Kevin Gausman #34 of the Baltimore Orioles pitches in the fifth inning during a baseball game against the Tampa Bay Rays at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on July 28, 2018 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images) /

No, it wasn’t quite what I was hoping for… or expecting.  But maybe it might have been a little better than all that.

We may never know what the Atlanta Braves offered the Rays in exchange for Chris Archer on Tuesday.  We do know several things related to the pursuit that did occur.  We also know that the team now has a fistful of new players that should help propel this team forward toward a playoff berth.

On Tuesday afternoon, I was tasked with explaining the deal at the invitation of Thom Abraham on his radio show here in North Alabama.

I likened the non-waiver trade deadline to the baseball equivalent of Christmas for the nerdy baseball fan like me.

But before this ‘Christmas’ event, I had asked Santhopoulos Claus (via this linked post) for the Model 1000 ‘Chris Archer’ signature edition pitcher.  However, during that afternoon as the deadline loomed, we opened our gifts and found the Model 800 ‘Kevin Gausman’ edition instead.

Disappointment.

Have you ever had a Christmas in which a parent had to explain to you that while you didn’t quite get what you asked for, you still got what you wanted because of a bunch of factors that you hadn’t actually considered?  That scenario may play out to be what happened yesterday.

Let me explain.

The Deal

Kevin John Gausman is a 6’3″ right-hander hailing from Centennial, Colorado.  He was drafted twice, rejected the Dodgers in 2010 (6th round) and then signing with the Orioles as the 4th overall pick in 2012.  He will turn 28 years old next January.

Gausman has nearly 4 years of service time (3 years, 151 days) and gets $5.6million this year from his 1st arbitration year.  He is represented by The Legacy Agency and is scheduled to be a free agent after the 2020 season – i.e., 2+ years of ‘control’ remain.

Let’s look at the details…

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