Under-the-radar offseason trade looks even better for the Braves

The biggest trades that Alex Anthopoulos made this past offseason saw the team land Chris Sale and Jarred Kelenic, but they're far from the only trades that the shrewd president of baseball operations made.

One trade that was more under-the-radar saw the Atlanta Braves acquire Aaron Bummer in a deal with the Chicago White Sox. The Braves sent four players to Chicago, including a couple that they likely wouldn't have kept, in exchange for the talented left-handed reliever.

Early returns of the deal were good, and now the deal looks even better for Atlanta after a recent development with one of the players who went to Chicago.

Offseason trade looks even better for the Braves

The deal saw Aaron Bummer head to Atlanta in exchange for Michael Soroka, Nicky Lopez, Braden Shewmake, and Riley Gowens. Soroka was easily the biggest name in the deal, and was the player that Chicago was hoping to get the most out of.

Unfortunately, Soroka's tenure in Chicago has gotten off to a brutal start. The right-hander has a 6.39 ERA in nine starts and 43.2 innings of work thus far. He's led the league with 31 earned runs allowed and ten home runs given up. He looks nothing like the All-Star and Cy Young contender he was back in 2019 - his lone healthy season.

Soroka looked like a future star in the 2019 campaign, posting a 2.68 ERA in 29 starts and 174.2 innings of work. He finished sixth in the National League Cy Young balloting, and second in the Rookie of the Year balloting. Unfortunately, he made just ten starts and had a 5.69 ERA in the four years following his breakout. He dealt with several injuries including a pair of Achilles tears over that four-year stretch.

The White Sox hoped he'd flourish in a new environment with lesser expectations, but he pitched his way out of the rotation entirely according to James Fegan of Sox Machine. Lopez and Shewmake have struggled, while Gowens is in the minors. The White Sox haven't gotten much out of the deal.

Meanwhile, on the other side, Bummer has been a strong addition to a really good Atlanta bullpen. The southpaw's 4.15 ERA might be a bit high, but he has a 2.99 FIP, and has a 2.45 ERA in his last 12 appearances since allowing runs in each of his first two Braves outings.

Bummer has emerged as a reliable option for Brian Snitker to turn to in low-leverage spots. The best part of this trade is that Bummer has two more years of club options at $7.5 million per. Pricey, maybe, but the Braves are in complete control of whether they keep him or not.

It's more under-the-radar than the other two deals, but this Bummer trade was another Alex Anthopoulos masterclass. Bummer has flourished while the players Atlanta traded for him have struggled.