Braves Acquire Griffin Canning in Salary-Moving Deal With Angels: Will He Make the Roster?

The Atlanta Braves kicked off the first day of the offseason by trading Jorge Soler to the Angels. In return, Griffin Canning is coming to Atlanta.

This move was primarily about shedding Soler’s contract. His defensive struggles in the outfield this season confirmed his best role as a designated hitter, but with Marcell Ozuna expected to return next year, Soler became a redundant and costly piece. Shedding his remaining $32 million across two seasons allows the Braves greater flexibility as they look to refine their roster.

There’s a high probability Canning never pitches for the Braves. He has one more arbitration year remaining on his contract, which is projected to pay him $5.4 million. That’s a bit pricey for a pitcher that–at best–will compete for a job in Atlanta’s rotation next year if Max Fried leaves in free agency and Charlie Morton opts to retire. It’s also worth noting that Canning has no options remaining, so the Braves can’t stash him in the minors if he doesn’t make the Opening Day roster.

In his career, Canning has posted a 4.78 ERA over 99 games, including 94 starts. This past season, he threw a career-high 31 starts but struggled, finishing with a 5.19 ERA, a 1.398 WHIP, and just 6.8 strikeouts per nine innings.

But just like Death Valley on a Saturday night is where dreams go to die in college football, the Los Angeles Angels organization is where pitchers go to die. They have been absolutely the worst organization at developing pitching for years, and even the quality, proven guys they bring into the organization turn into tomato cans by the time their time in Los Angeles is finished.

However, there is nothing about Griffin Canning’s Baseball Savant page that suggests he’s going to have a miracle turnaround in Atlanta. He primarily throws four pitches, boasting a fastball, slider, curveball, and changeup. His off speed offering being his best pitch by a country mile, producing a run value in the 87th percentile. However, his fastball run value is in the 5th percentile, and his breaking ball run value sits in the 2nd percentile, good for an overall run value in the 3rd percentile.

Braves GM Alex Anthopoulos has a reputation for uncovering hidden value in trades, but Canning seems unlikely to be the next reclamation project. This deal is a straightforward salary dump, allowing Atlanta to offload Soler’s $32 million contract. When the non-tender deadline arrives on November 22nd, the Braves will probably choose not to tender Canning a contract, making this trade a clear win in terms of financial flexibility.

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Photo: Leslie Plaza Johnson/Icon Sports