The trade deadline passed, but the Braves remained relatively quiet while others made moves.
Alex Anthopoulos addressed the outfield by reuniting Jorge Soler and Luke Jackson, but it was the only deal that came to fruition.
At first appearance, the Soler addition is unlikely to surprise many; after all, he is cutting.240/.330/.419 with 12 home runs yields a.749 OPS. That is not exactly moving.
But remember this: Jarred Kelenic has a.683 OPS, Adam Duvall has a.587 OPS, and Eddie Rosario has a.548 OPS. Soler represents a significant improvement.
Furthermore, there are two elements to consider while discussing the deal and Soler’s impact in Atlanta. For starters, he will immediately help the Braves’ offense in the leadoff spot since he is eager to take walks. Soler has an 11.2 BB%, which is now the highest mark in Atlanta’s lineup.
Second, he’s been great recently, soaring ahead of the trade deadline. Jorge Soler has a.280/.374/.486 slash line, six home runs, and 24 RBI since June 1.
Still, you can speak all you want about Soler, but this trade deadline was disappointing. There are no two ways about it. Apparently, it isn’t for a want of effort. Alex Anthopoulos told Atlanta reporters that he looked into the frontline starting market, particularly for players who 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
At the deadline and during the offseason, starting pitchers command exorbitant prices. Anthopoulos discovered two players in Chris Sale and Reynaldo Lopez for pennies, and if it doesn’t make sense value-wise, the Braves head of baseball operations will not overpay.
That approach makes sense to me, especially since Lopez and Max Fried have been cleared of all charges. The Braves don’t necessarily need a starter in 2024, but additional insurance wouldn’t hurt because injuries are unavoidable. However, I believe every frontline starter AA enquired about came with multiple years of control, as there are serious rotation concerns in 2025.
That is the only scenario I could envision. Even so, the offense required the most work, and the Braves’ failure to acquire another outfielder is disheartening.
Alex Anthopoulos is clearly only trying to get into the playoffs, hoping that Michael Harris II, Ozzie Albies, Max Fried, and Reynaldo Lopez are healthy and Eddie Rosario, Adam Duvall, Orlando Arcia, and Matt Olson improve their individual play.
There’s a lot of optimism and prayers.