MLB trade grades: Braves get their right-handed slugging outfielder from the Giants

Ever since Ronald Acuña Jr. went down with a torn ACL earlier this year, the entire baseball world has known that the Atlanta Braves and Alex Anthopoulos would be looking to add outfield pieces to replace him.

After weeks of speculation, Atlanta has finally acquired their guy. Much like in 2021 when Acuña went down, the Braves are acquiring slugging outfielder Jorge Soler to fill the void. I speculated this fit and predicted a Soler to Atlanta trade back in late May, shortly after Acuña went down.

Late Monday night, the Braves agreed to a trade with the San Fransisco Giants that would send outfielder Jorge Soler and reliever Luke Jackson to Atlanta.

For more news and rumors, check out MLB Insider Robert Murray’s work on The Baseball Insiders podcast, and join the discord to get the inside scoop as we near the July 30 MLB trade deadline.

MLB trade grades: 2021 WS champion, Jorge Soler comes back to Atlanta

Here's the full trade that sends Soler and Jackson to Atlanta:

Soler, 32, is slashing .240/.330/.419 on the season with 12 home runs and 23 doubles for the Giants. The right-handed slugger has 40 homer potential in any season that he stays healthy in. Over the course of the last 57 games for the Braves, they could watch Soler hit 10 to 15 home runs easily. He's just that kind of slugger. He's attached to two additional years on his contract worth $16 million a season. It's very important to note that Atlanta is taking on the contract so they are paying Soler $13 million in 2025 and $13 million in 2026.

Jackson, 32, has struggled this year for the Giants. He currently holds a 5.40 ERA, 1.43 WHIP and a 4.49 FIP through 35 innings. The reliever has a club option worth $7 million in 2025, but it's unlikely that it would get picked up, so this can be treated like a rental option in the Braves bullpen.

Matzek, 33, sits on the 60-day IL with an elbow injury. On the season, the southpaw has tossed 10 innings, allowing 11 earned runs on 16 hits in that span. He has a club option in 2025 that will likely be declined by the Giants.

Ceballos, 21, is slashing .259/.353/.354 in High-A this year. He was one of the more likely Braves prospects to get traded at this deadline as he's a very talented infielder. He has a very strong arm and a super capable bat, making him a very high ceiling prospect if he can put the pieces together down the line.

Atlanta was able to acquire the guy that Anthopoulos wanted while only losing one top 30 prospect. The Braves are eating the contract, which they're okay with if it means a World Series this season or next. The Giants get to dump Soler's salary while adding a high potential prospect. The trade looks quite solid for both teams.

Braves trade grade: A-

Giants trade grade: A-