I talked last week about how Kolby Allard has been a gem thus far for the Rangers. They called him up quickly after acquiring him, and since, he has the highest WAR of any pitcher that was traded at the deadline – that includes Zach Grienke. Allard has a 1.2 fWAR, and more impressively, has seen his fastball velocity spike, averaging 92.5 MPH with the Rangers and topping out in the mid-90s. Chris Martin has been a quality addition to the bullpen, but his contract expires at the end of this year. This could be a deal the Braves regret tremendously down the line.
Now, let’s take a look at how some of the other players Anthopoulos dealt have performed in their new homes.
Travis Demeritte
The Braves rightfully sold high on Demeritte at the deadline, as he never had a place in the infield of the future, and included him in the deal to land Shane Greene. The Tigers called him up immediately, and he hasn’t been very productive in 44 games thus far, slashing .219/.278/.342, resulting in a -1.2 WAR.
Joey Wentz
Wentz was the centerpiece of the trade for Greene, and the only player we had in the top ten of our SportsTalkATL prospect list dealt at the deadline. He was having a so-so year for Mississippi before moving to Detroit’s farm system – where he has been spectacular. In five starts, Wentz went 2-0 with a 2.10 ERA and a WHIP under one. Greene’s been stellar for the Braves of late and has another year of control remaining, but Wentz could be a very good pro and may reach the bigs next season.
Tristan Beck
Because the Braves opted to eat the remainder of Mark Melancon’s salary for this year and next year, they did not have to give up a ton in terms of prospect capital. The one arm they did move was Tristan Beck – a fourth-round pick out of Stanford. Beck was struggling for the Florida Fire Frogs in high-A ball, posting a 5.65 ERA in eight starts. Since moving to the west coast; however, he’s found much more success, recording a 2.27 ERA at the same level in one less inning pitched. It’s a small sample size, but Beck was a college arm many people were excited about coming out of Palo Alto, and it looks like he’s progressing quite well now that he’s in a different farm system.