The Braves trade away another of their best and most popular players Tuesday, but this time it should be tough for anyone to criticize the move based on the huge return they got from the Diamondbacks for pitcher Shelby Miller.
They traded the All-Star right-hander to Arizona in exchange for outfielder Ender Inciarte, right-handed prospect Aaron Blair and top shortstop prospect Dansby Swanson, the No. 1 overall selection in the 2015 June draft out of Vanderbilt. Swanson played at Marietta High School.
It was a blockbuster deal that jolted the second full day at baseball’s Winter Meetings at the Opryland Hotel.
Inciarte, who just turned 25, hit .303 with 38 extra-base hits (six homers) and 21 stolen bases in his second full season, with a .338 OBP and only 58 strikeouts in 561 plate appearances. He can play all three outfield positions, bats left-handed, and won’t be eligible for free agency until after the 2020 season.
Blair, 23, was 12-5 with a 2.92 ERA in 26 games (25 starts) last season in Double-A and Triple-A, with 120 strikeouts in 160 1/3 innings. He was rated the No. 40 prospect in Baseball America’s Top 100 before last season, and has a 3.22 ERA in 64 games over three minor league seasons, with 332 strikeouts in 363 innings.
But the real coup of the deal for the Braves could be Swanson, 21, who hit .289 with a .394 OBP and .876 OPS in 22 games at low-A Hillsboro after being the top pick in the June draft.
Braves adding catcher Flowers, too
Free agent catcher Tyler Flowers, who grew up in Roswell and was drafted by the Braves a decade ago, agreed Tuesday to a two-year, $5.3 million contract. He became a free agent last week when non-tendered by the Chicago White Sox, after batting .239 with nine home runs, 39 RBIs in 361 plate appearances (112 games) last season. (Click here to read more)
Bradley: Tremendous move
Schultz: This one actually makes sense
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