The trade deadline came and went, but the Braves remained rather quiet as others made moves. Alex Anthopoulos did address the outfield in the form of a reunion with Jorge Soler, along with Luke Jackson, but that was the only deal that came to fruition.
At first glance, the Soler acquisition isn’t going to blow anyone away; after all, he’s slashing .240/.330/.419 with 12 home runs, good for a .749 OPS. That’s not exactly moving.
But let’s remember something — Jarred Kelenic has a .683 OPS, Adam Duvall has a .587 OPS, and Eddie Rosario has a .548 OPS. Soler is a drastic improvement.
Moreover, there are two aspects to consider when talking about the trade and what kind of impact Soler will have in Atlanta. Firstly, he will instantly improve the Braves’ offense in the leadoff role because he’s willing to take his walks. Soler boasts an 11.2 BB%, which would currently be the highest mark for Atlanta’s lineup.
Secondly, he’s been excellent as of late, surging ahead of the trade deadline. Jorge Soler has a .280/.374/.486 slash line with six homers and 24 RBI since June 1.
Still, you can talk Soler up all you want, but at the end of the day, this trade deadline was disappointing. There’s no two ways around it. Apparently, it’s not for a lack of trying. Alex Anthopoulos told Atlanta media that he explored the frontline starting market, specifically guys that could start in the postseason, but the value didn’t make sense.
Anthopoulos: "We have five (starters) that we like." Said that they explored frontline starters, guys who could start in the postseason, but couldn't "line up on value and cost"
— Lindsay Crosby, big baseball guy (@CrosbyBaseball) July 30, 2024
The price for a starting pitcher is astronomical at the deadline and in the offseason. Anthopoulos found a couple of guys in Chris Sale and Reynaldo Lopez for pennies, and if it doesn’t make sense value-wise, the Braves president of baseball operations isn’t going to overpay.
I can understand that stance, especially with Lopez and Max Fried getting a clean bill of health. The Braves don’t exactly need a starter in 2024, though some insurance would never hurt because injuries are inevitable. However, I assume any frontline starter AA inquired about came with multiple years of control because there are legitimate rotation concerns in 2025.
That’s the only scenario I could see playing out. Even still, the offense needed the most attention, and it’s disappointing that the Braves didn’t come away with another outfielder.
It’s clear that Alex Anthopoulos is just trying to get in the dance with the hope that Michael Harris II, Ozzie Albies, Max Fried, and Reynaldo Lopez are healthy as well as Eddie Rosario, Adam Duvall, Orlando Arcia, and Matt Olson improving their individual play.
It’s a lot of hope and prayers.
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Photographer: David J. Griffin/Icon Sportswire
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