The Atlanta Braves added to their bullpen on Tuesday night. Alex Anthopoulos has remained consistent that the Braves will be buyers at this season's deadline, even if they are out of contention. At the very least, Anthopoulos will not sell players who are under contract long term. That leaves him some wiggle room with Marcell Ozuna, but little else. The Braves most recent move could see time in the bullpen shortly, but Atlanta fans are right to question Anthopoulos' plan. Welcome to the ATL, Hunter Stratton!
Stratton's had a tough season, as he has an ERA over 23 in just three appearances. There's a chance pitching in Pittsburgh wasn't helping Stratton. The Pirates are a mess this year, despite a recent winning streak which included a sweep over the New York Mets. Perhaps this is a way for the Braves to say thank you.
Who won the Pirates-Braves trade for Hunter Stratton?
Stratton had a 3.58 ERA in 36 appearances back in 2024. That's something the Braves can build on, and it's not like the return cost Anthopoulos much. If the Braves recent bullpen additions are any indication, they see something in Stratton that the Pirates do not. Atlanta, much like the Tampa Bay Rays to the south, tend to take on struggling relievers on pretending teams in hopes of reviving their careers, especially if they have assets Anthopoulos deems valuable. That could be the case with Stratton.
As for the Pirates, Cherington gained a lottery ticket from the Braves in return. Titus Dumitru, who the Braves traded for Stratton, is 22 years old as of May and hasn't advanced past High-A with Atlanta. He'll report to the Pirates minor-league system in hopes of making an impact...somewhere. His major-league prospects are bleak at best.
Braves trade grade: B+
Pirates trade grade: C-
What the Braves trade means for Chris Sale
Chris Sale suffered a fractured rib in his most recent start. Because of this, it was unlikely he was going to return anytime soon. The defending NL Cy Young winner was placed on the 60-day injured list as a result of said trade. The injury seemingly came out of nowhere.
“He was doing his exercises yesterday and felt like something wasn’t right, so they had him looked at it, and it showed what it showed. … It’s just a freak thing. An unfortunate thing. I saw him after the game that night and he was doing his postgame workout. And then I saw him the next day and I think he maybe felt a little uncomfortable the next day. But then yesterday is when he wanted to get it checked out," Snitker said at the time.
Sale will be out a few months at the very least. If the Braves are able to turn their season around, he'll be back at full strength in time for the postseason. However, Atlanta is well below .500 as of this writing, and they don't have an easy replacement for Sale in their rotation. I wouldn't go as far as to say they're cooked, but adding Stratton isn't enough to help them much.