Pitching help is on the way to Atlanta. Or in the more immediate outlook, Philadelphia.
The Braves traded for Orioles starter Tommy Milone Sunday. Milone, 33, owns a 3.99 ERA with a 33:4 strikeout-to-walk ratio across six starts (29-1/3 innings) this season. The Orioles signed him to a minor-league deal over the winter and he started opening day.
Braves general manager Alex Anthopoulos traded two players to be named later in the deal. Players traded who aren’t in a team’s 60-man pool will be “to be named later” in agreements. The Braves designated first baseman Matt Adams for assignment to open a spot for Milone, who was added to start Sunday night against the Phillies.
“He’s throwing the ball really well,” Anthopoulos said. “He’s having a lot of success. Obviously he’s doing it against the AL East and NL East, we’re all playing the same teams. He’s doing a nice job. His change-up is his go-to pitch. He’s having a lot of success with that, more than last year. Just in talking to Tommy, he’s always been a strike-thrower, but he feels his command in that much stronger.
“Again, he’s throwing the ball really well right now. We feel like we’ll be a good spot for him. We have a lot of faith in what (catchers) Travis (d’Arnaud) and Tyler (Flowers) do behind the plate. We take a lot of pride in our defense as well, and our prep. Hopefully he continues the way he’s been throwing.”
Milone was with the Orioles in Buffalo, where they were facing the Blue Jays. The Braves booked him a private flight from Buffalo to Philadelphia, which helped them avoid going through the COVID-19 protocols that would’ve been required had he flown commercial. It allowed him to start Sunday, when he replaced the previously scheduled Huascar Ynoa.
The Braves and Orioles had been discussing Milone since starter Mike Soroka tore his Achilles earlier this month, Anthopoulos said. They reached an agreement Saturday night.
“We could’ve waited until Monday (to make the Milone trade), we just didn’t know how things were going to emerge,” Anthopoulos said. “I don’t know what’s going to happen between now and tomorrow afternoon (the trade deadline), but we didn’t want to wait around. We decided it made sense to go ahead and do it.”
Milone’s fastball has averaged 86 mph this season. His change-up is his best strikeout pitch, generating a 36% whiff rate. Most notably, Milone has pitched five or more innings in four of his six starts. The Braves have desperately sought a starter to consistently pitch deeper into games.
Only six rotations have thrown fewer innings than the Braves’ (136 innings over 32 starts). Two of those teams, the Cardinals and Marlins, are behind schedule due to COVID-19. Braves starters have accrued 0.8 WAR, baseball’s sixth-lowest mark.
Upgrading the Braves’ rotation isn’t a monumental task. Max Fried is its only standing member from opening day. Top prospect Ian Anderson, one start into his career, might be its second-best member. Converted long relievers Josh Tomlin and Robbie Erlin have been filling in, and for now, the plan is for them to continue starting.
Milone isn’t flashy, but his impeccable command should help the weakened staff. He’s issued one walk over his five August starts. He went four consecutive outings over that span without walking a hitter (21 innings). That’s refreshing for the Braves, whose starters issue 4.50 walks per nine innings, second-highest in the majors.
“Hopefully (he brings) stability,” manager Brian Snitker said. “He’s a strike-thrower who’s been through the wars. We’ve said this before, you get a guy like that in our situation, we have experienced catchers, we’re a good defensive team. I think all those kind of things will help a guy like that. He’s a strike-thrower who knows what he’s doing. He can move the baseball around. Putting him on our club may be very beneficial for us.”
Milone signed a one-year, $1 million contract with the Orioles ($370,370 prorated). He’ll be a free agent after the season. Expect the Braves to continue trying for additional pitching help ahead of the trade deadline, which is 4 p.m. Monday.
Anthopoulos indicated the team is primary exploring rotation help and bench upgrades, singling out the bullpen as the lone area the Braves haven’t been engaged (though he wouldn’t rule out adding a reliever). He admitted it’s been a unique market with so many teams in the postseason mix.
“There’s not a lot of sellers,” Anthopoulos said. “With the expanded playoffs, even those teams on the outside looking in, they’re close. There’s not a lot of inventory out there. So it’s challenging. We’re not being specific in terms of contractual - obviously you’d always rather have guys with control. But you’re always trying to weigh the acquisition cost, too.”
Credit: Michael Owens
Credit: Michael Owens
