Vaughn Grissom had perfect response to Alex Anthopoulos about trade for pitching

The Atlanta Braves needed pitching, but their former middle infielder Vaughn Grissom thought he could help. Grissom was dealt to the Boston Red Sox in exchange for perennial All-Star left-hander Chris Sale. While Sale joins a stacked Atlanta rotation featuring Max Fried, Charlie Morton and Spencer Strider, Grissom joins a Red Sox team trying to turn the corner hoping for some playing time.

Braves general manager Alex Anthopoulos had been quiet for most of the offseason. Many in Braves Country thought their general manager fell asleep at the wheel. Instead, he pulled off yet another blockbuster trade for the third consecutive offseason with an American League franchise. Anthopoulos not only improved the Atlanta rotation, but he also did right by Grissom in the process.

I have not seen Anthopoulos get this emotional about a move since trading for Matt Olson with the Oakland Athletics, signifying the end of the Freddie Freeman era at first base in Atlanta. This is a testament to Grissom's character, one that will do wonders joining a new clubhouse in Boston. He said Atlanta needed pitching. Grissom responded as anyone would have expected: "I can pitch."

The Braves got a former ace in Sale, while the Red Sox got another marketable young star in Grissom.

You hate to see a guy like Grissom go before he even entered his prime, but baseball is a business after all. Furthermore, Atlanta is in win-now mode in its competitive life cycle and needed to act fast.

Vaughn Grissom responds to Alex Anthopoulos trading him to Boston

If all was fair and good, Grissom would have spent his entire pro career in Atlanta. He is the type of player the Braves' farm system famously cultivates. They groom promising high school players with likable personalities and gear them up for eventually debuting and thriving in the show. His bat got him to the big leagues earlier than expected. His glove is what cost him a chance at sticking in them.

After Atlanta let former starting shortstop Dansby Swanson sign with the Chicago Cubs in free agency last year, Grissom was thought to be the favorite to take over for him. It looked to be the case, until it wasn't... Orlando Arcia quietly won the starting job over him at short during Spring Training. While Grissom's glove continued to be mediocre at best, Arcia became an All-Star starter in Atlanta.

The universal DH would have served Grissom long-term in a place like Atlanta, but a renaissance season out of Marcell Ozuna at the plate left him with little chance of getting playing time with the Braves last season. Grissom could have played some left field, but Anthopoulos trading for Jarred Kelenic from the Seattle Mariners brought a swift end to that conversation. He is now with Boston.

Maybe in a blowout of a ballgame we could finally see Grissom live up to his promise of pitching?