Why Braves may have quietly won MLB trade deadline

The Atlanta Braves are playing quality baseball at the moment. It seemed as if they were one of the losers at the MLB trade deadline, but that may not be the case. While the Los Angeles Dodgers stole headlines by acquiring Tarik Skubal and the Boston Red Sox surprised the MLB world with their Adley Rutschman trade, the Braves’ most notable headline was failing to acquire Jacob deGrom after he invoked his no-trade clause.

So, what did the Braves do at the MLB trade deadline? Well, their most notable move from a starting pitching standpoint was their Tyler Mahle acquisition. Braves fans were probably not thrilled about the deal, as Mahle had pitched to a 5.13 ERA with the San Francisco Giants before he was acquired by Atlanta.

Since joining the Braves, however, the right-handed hurler has looked like one of the best pitchers in baseball. In fact, Mahle has the best ERA at 1.48 with his new ball club of any starting pitcher who was traded before the deadline, according to MLB Network.

Mahle has made five starts with Atlanta. As mentioned, he has recorded a 1.48 ERA during that span. Additionally, he has a 0.956 WHIP and 32 strikeouts across his 30.1 innings of work on the mound.

The Braves’ starting rotation uncertainty has been a popular subject of discussion in recent weeks. Chris Sale is an ace, of course, but a number of starters — such as Spencer Strider and Spencer Schwellenbach — are dealing with injury concerns. Atlanta may not have traded for deGrom at the MLB trade deadline, but they acquired Mahle and he’s been much better.

deGrom surrendered eight runs in his most recent outing. He has allowed five or more runs in two of his past five starts. deGrom’s ERA now sits at 4.21 this season.

Perhaps the Braves should be thanking deGrom for invoking his no-trade clause. Atlanta did not have to surrender as much at the trade deadline, yet they were still able to acquire a starter who is pitching at an All-Star caliber level at the moment.