Atlanta Braves Morning Chop: observations from deadline day

This was a day like none other – with all teams poised for action… and the Atlanta Braves did not disappoint.

Seriously:  it is difficult to make trades.  Yet with under an hour to go before the hard deadline on Wednesday, most MLB teams were trading players like prizefighters trade haymakers – and the Atlanta Braves were right in the thick of the action.

The original ‘plan’ for the Braves – if it was accurately conveyed in public pronouncements – was to seek a frontline starter, bullpen help, and perhaps another bat (probably an outfielder).

You know that call you get when you’re already on the way to the store for something quick?  The call that tells you ‘never mind’ on the original list… but instead you get an expanded list of needs for your errand?

Yeah – that happened.

The Braves were shopping for starting pitching.  All over.  We had multiple stories in July – here, here, and here are just 3 of them – and there were accompanying reports of teams scouting the Braves’ prospects.

But that didn’t happen… and here’s my own opinion as to why this was the case:

This trade – definitely not the one where Marcus Stroman went to the Mets – set the bar for trading controllable starting pitchers.  The Indians got full value for Trevor Bauer, and that merely emboldened the sellers to hold fast to their prices.

That kinda handcuffed the Braves (and others) because they didn’t want to have to blow the entire farm system on one deal.

As a direct result, just 3 teams were able to get proven starters:  Cincy (Bauer), the Mets (Stroman), and Houston (Greinke).

Nobody else did… and this despite a desperate need for that in the Bronx. You could certainly argue that the Mets’ move made ultimately made that impossible for the Yankees, though given what Toronto received for Stroman, it’s hard to believe that Brian Cashman couldn’t have beaten that price.

Nonetheless, this deadline action shows clearly how much the league values frontline controllable starting pitching right now.  The Greinke trade will likely be an object lesson for pitcher valuation for a while.

So instead, the Braves brilliantly gave up none of their overall-Top-100 prospects and got – arguably – the best 3 bullpen arms that were dealt. 

That’s mind-boggling… and yet it really happened.  I have to agree with my friend Fred on the day’s ‘grade’… with the added note that I truly don’t know how Alex Anthopoulos could have done better, given the obstacles to obtaining starting pitching upgrades.

Here’s a series of additional observations that punctuated a fascinating Trade Deadline Day.