Didier Fuentes has become untouchable in trade talks

For Harris, he is 4-for-6 in pinch-hit opportunities, most of which have come in critical moments that have directly led to wins.

Sunday was no different. With Weiss looking to give his high-leverage arms the night off, Reynaldo Lopez and Tyler Kinley took care of business in the eighth, and then the Braves turned to 20-year-old Didier Fuentes in the ninth — looking for the first save of his career.

It didn’t come easy. Brandon Lowe led off with a double, and an infield single put runners at the corners with just one out. Fuentes hunkered down, though, forcing a pop out to second followed by a strikeout to end the game. In doing so, he became the youngest Braves pitcher to record a save since August of 1971.

The word untouchable shouldn’t be thrown around carelessly when talking about prospects — especially young arms. There’s almost always a case to be made for moving a player in the right trade. But Didier Fuentes is quickly becoming an exception to that rule.

He’s been virtually unhittable since the Braves moved him to the bullpen, posting a 0.95 ERA over 19 innings while pitching in just about every situation imaginable. The versatility he gives Walt Weiss has been a significant factor in the team’s overall success — and at 20 years old, he’s just scratching the surface.

This is a player with the floor of an elite major-league reliever and a ceiling that could be a legitimate frontline starter for the next five to six years. Fuentes is going to help the Braves win a lot of games both now and in the future — that’s not the kind of player a team with championship aspirations has any business trading away.