MILWAUKEE – The Braves have grinded through a difficult season full of injuries and underperforming stars. They have endured a lot of poor luck. They have desperately needed some sort of boost.
How is this for a shot in the arm?
Late Monday night, after another discouraging loss, Atlanta acquired outfielder Jorge Soler and right-handed reliever Luke Jackson – two crucial pieces of its 2021 World Series team – from the San Francisco Giants. The Braves sent the Giants Tyler Matzek, a fan-favorite from that championship team, and minor-league infielder Sabin Ceballos.
To create room on the 40-man roster, the Braves designated right-hander Darius Vines for assignment.
The Braves brought back familiar faces from a special time – at a time when they need positives. Soler and Jackson rejoin the Braves for a critical stretch in which the club must get on a roll. To this point, the Braves’ offense has been a letdown. The club recently lost six straight games for the first time since 2017. And Monday’s loss pushed the Braves to 37-42 since the start of play on April 29.
Braves president of baseball operations and general manager Alex Anthopoulos didn’t sit quietly and watch everyone else make deals. He joined the fun by adding pop to his lineup and another arm to his bullpen. The Braves are familiar with both players.
Will Soler fix Atlanta’s offensive issues? Not alone. But he could be part of the solution. And it’s worth a shot.
Soler – owner of a World Series home run that might not have landed yet – is batting .240 with a .749 OPS, 12 homers and 40 RBIs. Three years ago, when Anthopoulos first traded for him, Soler was batting .192 with 13 bombs for Kansas City.
Credit: Curtis Compton / Curtis.Compton@
Credit: Curtis Compton / Curtis.Compton@
Soler hasn’t appeared in the outfield this season, but the Braves plan to play him in the corner outfield spots. This means Marcell Ozuna will continue as their full-time designated hitter. The Braves haven’t gotten much production from their outfield since Ronald Acuña Jr. tore his ACL in late May, so Soler could help in that regard. He should lengthen their lineup a bit. He can change a game with one swing.
Then there’s this: Manager Brian Snitker can hit Soler leadoff, just like he did in 2021. Jarred Kelenic has struggled in the leadoff spot in July, and Soler could help solve this issue – at least for now.
Jackson has a 5.40 ERA over 35 innings. He slots into one of baseball’s best bullpens. With everyone rested, Jackson likely wouldn’t pitch the late innings because the Braves are set there. They didn’t need another reliever. But Jackson was a big part of The Night Shift – the nickname for the Braves’ bullpen in 2021 – and was a positive part of the clubhouse during his previous stint in Atlanta.
In February, Soler and the Giants agreed to a three-year, $42 million contract. The Braves will take on the remainder of his $10 million salary this season, and his $13 million salary in each of the next two years. He appears poised to be part of their future. They’ll also give Jackson what’s left of his $6.5 million salary for this year, and then decide on his $7 million club option for next season or pay a $2 million buyout.
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
The Braves didn’t give up much to swing this trade. They likely weren’t going to need Matzek, who has been on the injured list with left elbow inflammation since May 7. And they couldn’t send him down when he was ready, so this made sense.
Still, Braves fans might be bummed to see Matzek leave. He authored one of the most electric postseason moments imaginable when he struck out the side against the Dodgers to help Atlanta clinch a World Series berth three years ago. The Braves and their fans will always fondly remember him.
The Braves and Giants swapped relievers, which was done for financial reasons. Matzek is making only $1.9 million this season, so San Francisco should save a bit of money down the stretch.
The Braves drafted Ceballos, a third baseman, in the third round out of the University of Oregon a year ago. In his first full season of professional baseball, he was hitting .259 with a .707 OPS for High-A Rome before the trade. He has three homers and 30 RBIs.
Baseball America ranked Ceballos as the Braves’ No. 26 prospect. The outlet said Ceballos is a physical third baseman with raw power and a plus arm, but lacks range defensively. The Braves’ third baseman, Austin Riley, is signed to a long-term deal, so Ceballos made sense as a trade chip.
Vines, who was collateral damage, gave up three runs – two earned – in an inning in Monday’s loss. He’s been with Atlanta since the organization drafted him in the seventh round in 2019. He debuted last year. He’d spent the majority of this season in the minors.
Vines was the final arm to appear for Atlanta in an ugly loss to Milwaukee on Monday. The Braves scored the first two runs of the game, then saw the Brewers hang eight unanswered after that.
By bringing in Soler and Jackson, two fan-favorites from the World Series run, Anthopoulos washed away the ugliness from the night and turned it into hope. This trade signifies his belief in the clubhouse despite a tough season thus far.
The Braves are better now than they were when they made the final out on Monday.
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