The Atlanta Braves currently trail the Philadelphia Phillies by 0.5 games in the National League East Division. They also trail the Arizona Diamondbacks by 0.5 games for the second spot in the NL Wild Card game. As the organization is aiming for their first playoff berth since 2013, they acquired a talented starting pitcher to help down the stretch.
The Atlanta Braves acquired Kevin Gausman and Darren O’Day from the Baltimore Orioles prior to the trade deadline. They sent out Jean Carlos Encarnacion, Brett Cumberland, Evan Phillips, and Bruce Zimmermann. They also sent $2.5 million of international bonus pool money to the O’s.
sources: braves have deal for gausman
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) July 31, 2018
Source: #Braves sending Encarnacion, Cumberland, Phillips and Zimmerman to #Orioles for Gausman and Darren O’Day.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) July 31, 2018
Gausman is a 27-year-old right-handed starting pitcher in his 6th MLB season. He has compiled a 5-8 record through 21 starts on the season. In 124.0 innings pitched, he holds a 4.43 ERA, a 4.58 FIP, and a 1.38 WHIP. He also has 104 strikeouts compared to 32 walks.
He is controllable through the 2020 season, so the Braves acquired more than just a rental pitcher. In 2016, he went 9-12 with a 3.61 ERA, a 4.10 FIP, and a 1.28 WHIP through 179.2 innings pitched. In 2017, he went 11-12 with a 4.68 ERA, a 4.48 FIP, and a 1.50 WHIP in 186.2 starts.
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Gausman should benefit from getting out of the hitting friendly Camden Yards as well as getting off of a bad team and away from the AL East lineups.
According to baseball-refernece, O’Day is currently on the disabled list and is expected to miss the remainder of the 2018 season after undergoing surgery on his left hamstring. He is under contract for the 2019 season at a $9 million salary before becoming a free agent in 2020.
Taking on O’Day most likely saved the Braves from having to include higher ranked prospects for Gausman, or it at least put their offer above the ones from other teams.
For the return on the Baltimore side, they acquired a third baseman, a catcher, a starting pitcher, and a relief pitcher. They also acquired valuable international bonus pool money to help with their rebuild process.
Through 97 Single-A games, the 20-year-old Encarnacion holds a .314 on-base percentage and a .463 slugging percentage. He has compiled 23 doubles, 5 triples, and 10 home runs on the season. The right-handed hitter and thrower has spent time at shortstop and first base in the minors, however, he has only played at third base this season.
Cumberland is a switch-hitting catcher. Although he has only played 5 games at Double-A, he played 82 games in Single-A+ this season. In those games, he held a .367 on-base percentage with a .407 slugging percentage.
Zimmerman is a left-handed starting pitcher. Through 20 starts between Single-A and Double-A this season, he holds a combined 2.86 ERA and a 1.20 WHIP. In 113.1 innings pitched, he has 125 strikeouts compared to 37 walks.
Phillips is right-handed reliever that has split time between Triple-A and the MLB levels this season. In the minors, he has appeared in 31 games and has pitched to a 1.99 ERA and a 1.03 WHIP. In 40.2 innings pitched, he has 59 strikeouts compared to only 14 walks. He has also only allowed 1 home run.
His time in the major leagues has not gone well thus far. Through 4 appearances, he has pitched to an 8.53 ERA and a 1.58 WHIP. He has 3 strikeouts in 6.1 innings pitched compared to 4 walks and 3 home runs allowed.
Although the Orioles lost a talented starting pitcher, they received nice pieces in return that should help their rebuilding process. For the Atlanta Braves, Gausman should help give them solid performance down the stretch to help their push towards the postseason.