The Atlanta Braves have added some much-need starting rotation help by acquiring Tommy Milone from the Baltimore Orioles.
In desperate need of starting pitching help to get through the second half of the 2020 season, the Atlanta Braves kicked off what could be a busy Sunday by making a deal with the Baltimore Orioles to acquire left-handed pitcher Tommy Milone.
Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic was the first to break the news, while Joel Sherman of the New York Post confirmed that the Atlanta Braves will be sending two players to be named later to Baltimore.
Despite a hot start to the season, the Baltimore Orioles were never going to be buyers in 2020, but a number of impressive early-season performances will help the Orioles move additional pieces over the next day as they continue to add to their talent pipeline.
Milone, who was signed to a minor league deal before the 2020 season, has churned out a handful of quality starts for the Orioles, he will now net Orioles general manager Mike Elias two prospects to be announced after the season.
Even without knowing who the Atlanta Braves are sending to the Baltimore Orioles, it’s a big win for the Orioles.
Milone is 1-4 with a 3.99 ERA (3.86 FIP) through his first six starts, striking out 24% of hitters and walking just four in 29.1 innings of work. As of Sunday morning, Milone has been worth 0.6 Wins Above Replacement (per FanGraphs), which is equal to that of New York Yankees ace Gerrit Cole.
Milone hasn’t finished a season with a fWAR above 1.0 since 2015 with the Minnesota Twins when he went 9-5 with a 3.92 ERA.
It’s well known that the Atlanta Braves are in desperate need of pitching and while Tommy Milone won’t move the needle considerably, the 33-year-old lefty has been a reliable arm for the Baltimore Orioles and should provide a bit of consistency for the Braves.
He strikes guys out, he rarely walks anyone, and four of his six starts have gone at least five innings. With a minimal price tag, it’s a cheap and impactful pickup for Atlanta.
Milone’s fastball barely tops 86 mph, but it’s the changeup that has been such a weapon for Milone in Baltimore.
Tommy Milone, Filthy 79mph Changeup. 👌 pic.twitter.com/hhqd7GXzKV
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) August 2, 2020
Throwing it nearly 39% of the time, Milone’s changeup has produced a 36% whiff rate. In terms of swing and miss on his changeup, Milone ranks among the top five pitchers in baseball in 2020.
There may not be much room for error, but if the Atlanta Braves can continue to ride Tommy Milone’s hot season, he should make a notable impact down the stretch.