The Atlanta Braves and Chicago White Sox connected for the primary important commerce of the offseason late Thursday night time. Atlanta acquired lefty reliever Aaron Bummer from the ChiSox for a five-player bundle: righty Michael Soroka, lefty Jared Shuster, infielders Nicky Lopez and Braden Shewmake, and minor-league righty Riley Gowens. Each groups have introduced the commerce.
Bummer, 30, had an ugly 6.79 ERA in 58 1/3 innings in 2023, although he pitched to a 2.59 ERA from 2019-22, and his underlying numbers have been very robust. The hole between Bummer’s ERA and FIP (3.58) was the most important of any pitcher with at the very least 50 innings pitched in 2023. The Braves are betting on constructive regression and Bummer returning to his pre-2023 kind.
|
Bummer |
29.2% |
58.2% |
2.7% |
|
MLB common |
22.7% |
42.5% |
8.1% |
Bummer does stroll a number of too many (13.5% vs. 8.6% MLB common), although he excels at lacking bats and getting floor balls, and limiting weak contact as nicely. That is a really robust basis. Bummer is reasonably priced too. He is owed $5.5 million in 2024 with membership choices for 2025 ($7.25 million) and 2026 ($7.5 million). He is a long-term addition for the defending NL East champions.
The Braves now have two high-end lefty relievers in Bummer and A.J. Minter, plus 2021 postseason hero Tyler Matzek is predicted to return from Tommy John surgical procedure early in 2024, maybe even in time for Opening Day. High quality lefty relievers are a should while you share a division with Jazz Chisholm Jr., Bryce Harper, Brandon Nimmo, and Kyle Schwarber, amongst others.
For the White Sox, this commerce provides stock and a few upside. The 26-year-old Soroka is the most important title, although accidents saved him off the mound in 2021 and 2022, and he had a 6.40 ERA in 32 1/3 large league innings in 2023. With a projected wage within the $3 million vary, the previous All-Star was a candidate to get non-tendered previous to Friday’s deadline. He will probably be a free agent after 2024.
Shuster, 25, was the No. 25 choose within the 2020 draft. He made his MLB debut in 2023 and posted a 5.81 ERA in 52 2/3 innings with the Braves, and had a 5.01 ERA in 79 Triple-A innings. Shuster took a step again this season, although he is a latest first-round choose and has prospect pedigree. The White Sox are playing they’ll get Shuster on monitor, and he’ll be a rotation constructing block.
Like Soroka, the 28-year-old Lopez was a non-tender candidate with a projected wage within the $4 million vary. He isn’t a lot of a hitter, although he’s a gifted defender. Shewmake, 25, was the No. 21 choose within the 2021 draft. He had a tough season in Triple-A (.234/.299/.407), however like Lopez, he is an excellent defender, and a candidate to interchange Tim Anderson at shortstop.
Gowens was Atlanta’s ninth-round choose on this previous summer season’s draft. He allowed three runs in 15 2/3 innings within the low minors in his professional debut. The 24-year-old was drafted as a senior out of Illinois and he has premium fastball knowledge and a promising slider. Because the fifth piece within the commerce, Gowens is a pleasant get as a possible quick-moving reliever.
For the Braves, they turned two non-tender candidates (Lopez and Soroka) and a few non-essential depth (Shewmake and Shuster) into a possible affect lefty reliever at a time after they’re all-in on successful the World Collection. The commerce additionally clears the way in which for Vaughn Grissom to be the first backup center infielder behind Ozzie Albies and Orlando Arcia subsequent yr.
Atlanta has been probably the most lively group within the early days of the offseason, notably re-signing relievers Joe Jiménez and Pierce Johnson to multiyear contracts, and now including Bummer in a commerce. Including a starter is alleged to be a precedence and that may proceed to be the case, not that Soroka and Shuster have been something greater than depth choices heading into 2024.
The White Sox, in the meantime, turned one in all their high commerce chips into what quantity to 4 rolls of the cube. Shuster and Shewmake may carve out long-term roles in the event that they get on monitor, Gowens has an opportunity to assist down the street, and Soroka could possibly be a priceless commerce chip on the deadline ought to he keep wholesome and pitch nicely early subsequent season.
That is the primary important transfer of the Chris Getz period for the White Sox. Getz was named senior vice chairman and common supervisor final month, changing longtime common supervisor Rick Hahn. Chicago is predicted to step again and rebuild after going 61-101 in 2023.
