Would it be a Braves trade deadline without Alex Anthopoulos making a deal at the buzzer? Of course not. Once again, the Braves GM worked until the final minute and surprised us all by trading for closer Raisel Iglesias.
Anthopoulos on Iglesias deal: “Came together really late, with like two minutes to go.” #Braves
— Cory McCartney (@coryjmccartney) August 2, 2022
Iglesias isn’t having the best season on the surface, boasting a 4.04 ERA through 35.2 innings for the Angels. However, there’s reason to believe some serious positive regression is in line. Iglesias’ FIP is 3.17, and he’s striking out 12.1 batters per nine innings with a 1.065 WHIP. Throughout his entire career, he’s been a maestro at striking batters out and keeping opponents off base. That’s quite the contrast from Will Smith, whose spot he will be taking in the late innings.
In the deal, the Braves sent the Angels Jesse Chavez and Tucker Davidson in return. Chavez was having an unbelievable season ever since Anthopoulos acquired him from the Cubs earlier in the year. He was also a critical piece to last year’s World Series club. Unfortunately, the opportunity to upgrade the bullpen with Iglesias was too tempting to pass up.
Davidson was one of the Braves’ top prospects. He had some success with the major-league team last season. However, there’s a log jam at the top of the minors, and it became unlikely that he would ever be able to properly develop in Atlanta.
The most shocking aspect of this trade is that Raisel Iglesias is owed $48 million over the next three seasons, and the Braves are taking on all of the money.
Closer Raisel Iglesias just signed a four-year, $58 million contract with the #Angels last winter, with $48 million still owed after this season. Atlanta is picking up the entire contract
— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) August 2, 2022
The Battery continues to pay substantial dividends for the Braves. This team is printing money, and they continue to spend well beyond franchise record highs. It’s just a matter of time before the Braves continuously have a top-five payroll in all of baseball.
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Photo: John Cordes/Icon Sportswire
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