BALTIMORE—The Braves could trade starting pitcher Alex Wood and reliever Jim Johnson to the Dodgers in exchange for prospects while also receiving veteran first baseman Mike Morse and a compensatory draft pick from the Marlins, Fox Sports reported on Wednesday.
The report said the three-team deal was close to completion but had not yet been finalized by the three teams. It did not say which prospects the Braves would receive from the Dodgers.
The trade was not official as of midnight. Following the Braves’ 2-0 loss to the Orioles, Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez and players said front-office officials had not informed them of any completed transactions.
Other reports indicated that the Braves would send left-hander Luis Avilan and touted infield prospect Jose Peraza to the Dodgers in exchange for 29-year old Cuban prospect Hector Olivera. Those reports said the Marlins would not be involved in the deal.
The Dodgers signed Olivera to a six-year contract in 2014 that included a $28 million signing bonus. The Braves were among the many teams who pursued Olivera at the time and now could acquire him for the price of Peraza, who was their No. 1-ranked prospect coming into the season.
Olivera is recovering from a hamstring injury. In 19 games at three minor-league levels for the Dodgers he’s hitting .348 with a .392 on-base percentage and .493 slugging percentage. He’s played at third and second base.
If the Braves complete any of the trades it would be the latest move in which they exchange veterans for prospects. The bulk of the trades they made during the offseason fit that mold. The Braves also sent veterans Juan Uribe and Kelly Johnson to the Mets on Friday in exchange for a pair of pitching prospects.
The Braves selected Wood in the second round of the 2012 draft out of the University of Georgia and the 24-year old lefty has been one of their top young pitchers since he made his big-league debut in 2013. He became a fixture in the starting rotation in June 2014 and in 20 starts this season is 7-6 with a 3.54 ERA.
The Braves signed Johnson this season to pitch in the back end of their bullpen. After serving as the top setup man for the first three-plus months of the season Johnson took over as the closer after Jason Grilli suffered a season-ending Achilles injury on July 11 at Colorado.
Johnson is 2-3 with a 2.25 ERA and nine saves this season.
Morse, 33, has been a reserve for most of his 11 seasons in the majors. Entering Wednesday he was hitting .214 with a .277 on-base percentage and four home runs this season. Morse played in 131 for the Giants in 2014 and hit .279 with a .336 OBP and .475 slugging percentage.
About the Author
Keep Reading
The Latest
Featured
