Braves end Ian Anderson experiment with trade

After giving him a full look during Spring Training, the Braves finally opted to end the Ian Anderson experiment before Opening Day by trading him to the Angels, where he will join Ron Washington and a bevy of his former teammates.

Anderson’s career arc in Atlanta followed in the footsteps of many other talented young arms in recent years whose careers were cut short for a variety of reasons. He set the world on fire when he was called up as a 22-year-old during the COVID-shortened 2020 campaign, posting a 1.95 ERA with 11.4 strikeouts per nine over six starts. That success continued in 2021 when he recorded a 3.58 ERA over 24 starts.

However, what Ian Anderson will be remembered for most as a member of the Braves is his astounding postseason success. He made eight starts in the playoffs, boasting a 1.26 ERA, 2.90 FIP, and 10.1 strikeouts per nine. Perhaps Anderson’s most memorable moment in a Braves uniform came in Game 3 of the 2021 World Series against the Astros. With the series tied at one apiece, he tossed five no-hit innings in a 2-0 win against one of the most vaunted and experienced offenses in baseball. Little did we know then: that would be the last time Anderson would ever pitch in a playoff game for the Braves.

Control issues and Anderson’s rather limited arsenal began to catch up with him in 2022, which eventually led to a demotion to AAA Gwinnett. Then came the injuries, as he underwent the knife for Tommy John surgery the following season.

The hope was that the time off could potentially serve as a reset button for Anderson, who is still just 26 years old. But unfortunately, time isn’t a luxury the Braves have in this situation. He is out of options, and nothing he showed throughout Spring Training suggested he was ready to contribute on a team with World Series aspirations.

The Angels, however, should provide an opportunity for Ian Anderson to land on his feet. He’ll be managed by Ron Washington, who was beloved by everybody in the Braves clubhouse. Travis d’Arnaud is also slated to be the starting catcher in Los Angeles, who caught Anderson during the most productive seasons of his career. But most importantly, the Angels are a rebuilding club that can afford to let him take his lumps at the major-league level as he aims to return to the form that made him a postseason hero in Atlanta.

It’s an abrupt and disappointing ending to Anderson’s career with the Braves, but his fingerprints are all over the 2021 World Series run, a season that will be remembered in Braves Country forever.