Braves bolster bullpen with Angels trade

A team can never have enough pitching depth, and that is especially true when said team is the Atlanta Braves. Injuries frequently hamper the National League East squad, so it is no surprise that president of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos has made it a priority to acquire a couple of arms before Monday evening’s MLB trade deadline. After landing Tyler Mahle in a deal with the San Francisco Giants on Sunday, the World Series-winning executive reeled in veteran reliever Brent Suter.

The Braves are sending infielder Nacho Alvarez Jr. to the Los Angeles Angels in exchange for the 36-year-old left-hander, per ESPN’s Jeff Passan. Suter has an underwhelming 4.12 ERA and 55 strikeouts in 63 1/3 innings pitched, but a quick peak under the hood might better explain why Anthopoulos made the move.

The former 31st-round draft pick ranks in the 94th percentile in hard-hit rate this season, according to Baseball Savant. Despite not dominating batters with swing-and-miss stuff, he is able to consistently induce ground balls (81 percentile). Suter could help the Braves preserve their staff in the final two months of the regular season, and if all goes well, perhaps he can also provide value in October.

Alvarez is only 23 years old, but he was unable to find a steady role with Atlanta. The right-handed hitter posted a .216 batting average, .277 on-base percentage, .298 slugging percentage and .576 OPS in 240 plate appearances for the Braves. He has battled injury issues throughout the year and last played for the Triple-A Gwinnett Stripers on May 20. Hopefully, he can get back on track in a new environment, one that should afford him plenty of opportunities down the road.

Alex Anthopoulos still has time to make a splash, but for now, he is content with working around the margins.