Braves Aquire $34 Million More in Pitching Depth

To say the Braves acted fast is an understatement. In the middle of the fifth inning of the Braves’ matchup against their NL rival the Phillies the Atlanta Braves announced that they were making trade moves. On April 8 the Braves acquired pitcher Rafael Montero from the Astros for an athlete whose name has not been revealed by either organization yet.

Fans aren’t sure how to feel, they were mostly bothered that the announcement came during Sean Murphy’s return and a great victory over their rivals.

“Mid-game?” was a common response to the X post.

One fan though was less than thrilled about the pick.

“How about you acquire someone that doesn’t suck,” he replied.

Montero pitched four innings for the Astros this season before being traded. In those four innings he allowed two earned runs, three hits and struck out five batters. Not really a jaw dropping performance to be excited about, but a pitcher who can find the strike zone effectively is what the Braves are in search of right now.

His resume is impressive. In 2022 he made 10 post season appearances with a 1.93 ERA. That was three seasons ago though and he is pushing 35. The Braves will have to be strategic about how to use this older arm, especially as Spencer Strider slowly makes his return.

The announcement post became lost amongst the highlight videos and victory graphics following the Braves’ second win of the season. However, with Chris Sales’ recent performances and the issues within the bullpen it may be time to acknowledge that the Braves are trying to make strategic moves. Working from within wasn’t helping them win games, it was time to start looking elsewhere.