In the wake of Brian McCann’s injury, the Atlanta Braves went all-out to replace their All-Star catcher. They searched high and low, and were able to acquire Wil Nieves from the Brewers for cash considerations.
In all seriousness this is merely a minor move, as Nieves won’t even be Atlanta’s backup catcher while McCann’s on the disabled list. Nieves has been sent to Triple-A and is just seen as a little insurance.
So why does this story matter at all? Usually I wouldn’t bother you with these minor transactions, but this deal is a bit out of the ordinary.
Now, when you see the word cash, you figure a couple thousand dollars, perhaps a little salary relief. But, in the case of Nieves, it’s being reported that the Brewers received a single dollar from the Braves as compensation for the backstop.
That’s right, one clam, one greenback, one hundred pennies. That’s it.
I know we all joke that we would trade so-and-so from our favorite team for a bag of balls or a 6 pack, but this is brutal.
Granted, Nieves has been awful this season, and if there ever was a player who was only worth a dollar he may qualify. The 33 year old started the year as the Brewers backup catcher but struggled in an extreme way to an OPS of .369.
After going 7 for 50 with the Crew, Nieves was shipped off to Triple-A where his numbers actually didn’t get that much better. Over his 23 games in the minors, Nieves only managed a line of .170/.213/.227.
So, while we’re inside the storm that is the trade deadline, I hope that this story provided you with a laugh as it has me.
For more on the Brewers and Braves, be sure to check out Reviewing the Brew and Tomahawk Take.