The Braves made a huge move the day before baseball’s trade deadline, acquiring outfielder Jorge Soler and right-handed reliever Luke Jackson – two crucial pieces of its 2021 World Series team – from the San Francisco Giants.
The Braves sent the Giants Tyler Matzek, a fan-favorite from that championship team, and minor-league infielder Sabin Ceballos.
Here’s more you should know about the coming MLB trade deadline.
When: 6 p.m. Tuesday
Will the Braves be active: No doubt, the Braves have needs. They could use an outfield bat, a starting pitcher and maybe even an infielder. How much they need a starter depends on Reynaldo López and when they think he could return.
It’s possible they’re active, but given the prices in trades thus far, Braves president of baseball operations and general manager Alex Anthopoulos probably will be active in a measured way. It’s easy to see Anthopoulos engaging in a couple trades, but it’s difficult to see the Braves being the talk of the deadline.
They have injured players expected to return – like Michael Harris II, Max Fried and Ozzie Albies. And with all of the injuries thus far, it’s difficult to see Anthopoulos mortgaging a significant part of the Braves’ future – in terms of prospects – in a trade unless it’s a perfect fit for a controllable starting pitcher that’ll be in the rotation for years to come.
Can players still be acquired after the deadline: No and yes. Tuesday is the trade deadline, but it’s not the final day that teams can acquire players.
Clubs can still claim players on outright waivers. Additionally, trades can still be made if the player dealt is on a minor-league contract and hasn’t been on a major-league roster or injured list at any point in the season.
And keep in mind that a player must be on a club’s 40-man roster or on its 60-day injured list by Aug. 31 to be eligible for the postseason. So, while teams can make moves after Tuesday, they likely won’t be impactful moves because major leaguers aren’t eligible to be dealt after the deadline.
