Major League Baseball is officially on notice--you trade with the Atlanta Braves at your own risk.
President of Baseball Operations Alex Anthopoulos has made some noteworthy trades in the past--including rebuilding Atlanta's entire outfield to help win the 2021 World Series. But his preseason blockbuster with the Boston Red Sox takes the cake.
On Dec. 30, 2023, Anthopoulos and the Braves acquired future Hall of Famer Chris Sale from the Red Sox in exchange for young second baseman Vaughn Grissom. Sale was coming off five straight injury-plagued seasons, but the Braves sensed a chance to recapture greatness.
Boy, were they ever right. Sale is having the best year of his storied career at age 35, leading MLB in wins (17), strikeouts (219), and ERA (2.35) en route to what will surely be his first Cy Young Award.
Winning a pitching Triple Crown is no small feat, and doing so after coming back from the trials Sale faced during his many setbacks is downright historic. For that, the Braves have earned endless praise, including that of national baseball insider Jeff Passan on Wednesday.
Passan named the Braves' trade for Sale his "move of the year" in his yearly awards column.
"It's a wonderful testament to Braves president of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos' willingness to take risks," Passan said. "Pitching health is hard."
"You have to believe something not only to trade Vaughn Grissom for Sale but then to extend him before he throws a pitch, adding a second guaranteed year and a club option on top of it. Furthermore, Boston sent $17 million to Atlanta to cover most of Sale's 2024 salary."
Grissom, for his part, had a dismal year in Boston at the big-league level, though he has come on strong at the end of the year in Triple-A. He slashed .148/.207/.160 in 23 games with the Red Sox, good for an OPS+ of 5.
Of course, the Braves' annual goal is to make the playoffs, and right now, they are failing to deliver on that goal. But Passan also emphasized that the only reason the Braves are even close is because of Sale.
"Sale's success buoyed the Braves in the year their offense vanished -- many due to injury, some to regression. Sale was the constant," Passan said. "If Atlanta can get to October, he makes it a very dangerous team."
Sale certainly hopes to pitch in October, but he's already accomplished more than anyone dreamed he could in 2024. And perhaps best of all, the Braves have him under control for another two years.
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