ATLANTA -- Braves general manager Alex Anthopoulos addressed the last of his multiple needs when he added depth to the rotation with Tuesday afternoon's acquisition of right-handed pitcher Kevin Gausman.The Braves acquired Gausman and veteran reliever Darren O'Day from the Orioles in exchange for right-handed pitcher Evan Phillips, catcher Brett Cumberland, left-handed pitcher Bruce Zimmermann, infielder Jean Carlos Encarnacion and international slot money.Gausman has posted a 4.43 ERA. recording 104 strikeouts while issuing 32 walks over 21 starts (124 innings) this season. The 27-year-old right-hander has posted a 3.13 ERA in 12 starts made against teams outside the American League East.
The right-hander set career highs in wins (11), innings (186 2/3) and strikeouts (179) last season, while tying for the Major League lead with 34 starts. Gausman's 85 starts since the start of 2016 are tied for fifth most in the Majors.Originally selected fourth overall by Baltimore in the 2012 MLB Draft out of Louisiana State University, Gausman made his big league debut with the Orioles in 2013. He's earning $5.6 million this year, and he will have two arbitration-eligible seasons remaining.The O's have not spent any of their allotted signing bonus pool for international amateur prospects, which was $5,504,500 when the July 2 signing period began. The $2.5 million added on Tuesday has only fueled speculation that they are gearing up to make a run at Cuban outfield prospect Victor Victor Mesa when he becomes eligible to sign, which could happen in the next few months. With most of the top prospects already off the board and bonus pools spent, the Orioles currently have the largest remaining bonus allotment of any club.O'Day drew strong attention from the Braves after he posted a 1.52 ERA and earned an All-Star selection in 2015. The 35-year-old veteran has constructed a 3.56 ERA over the three seasons that have followed. Opponents have hit .273 with a .333 on-base percentage against him this season.As the Braves approached the non-waiver Trade Deadline, Anthopoulos recognized the need to upgrade his rotation, bullpen and bench.Anthopoulos has since strengthened the 'pen with the acquisitions of O'Day, left-hander Jonny Venters and right-hander Brad Brach. The latter two came at the expense of international slot money, which provides little value as the Braves are heavily restricted by the sanctions levied by MLB in November.Gausman adds much-needed depth to a rotation that over the past few weeks counted Mike Foltynewicz, Sean Newcomb and Anibal Sanchez as its only reliable pieces. Julio Teheran's inconsistencies necessitated the acquisition of another starter.The Braves also upgraded their offense with Monday night's acquisition of outfielder Adam Duvall from the Reds. Duvall will provide power potential of the bench. His presence will allow the Braves to transition Ronald Acuna Jr. to center field and sit Ender Inciarte against left-handed starters.MLB Pipeline had ranked Encarnacion as the Braves' 14th-best prospect and Cumberland the team's 30th-best prospect. Phillips produced impressive numbers for Triple-A Gwinnett through this season's first three months, but he struggled during his brief time in Atlanta's bullpen.
Mark Bowman/MLB.com
If you enjoyed this article, please consider sharing it!
