In a surprising trade that was announced Monday morning, the Atlanta Braves have sent Jason Heyward to the St. Louis Cardinals. The trade consisted of Heyward and reliever Jordan Walden for RHP Shelby Miller and RHP Tyrell Jenkins. John Hart, the Braves’ new general manager, dealt Heyward, who was due to make $7.8 million next season. The biggest blow probably came when contract talks stalled with Heyward, who would have become eligible to simply walk away after the 2015 season. The halt in contract talks enabled Hart to make the move.
Before I go any deeper, I think Braves fans can answer this one. Did this trade make sense?
NO
Although I did not like the trade at first, and I can sympathize with Atlanta fans, it does not look as bad as it seems.
In a statistic that many people do not pay attention to, Jason Heyward had the 17th highest WAR (Wins Above Replacement) in the MLB, with a 6.35. He also has the 5th highest WAR on defense at 2.83. Although he has struggled a bit in batting, he still managed a .271 BA and a .351 OBP. BUT, on top of the struggles, his offense has declined as a whole. In 2014, he only managed 11 HRs (career worst) and just 58 RBI.
Jordan Walden, the player traded alongside Heyward, appeared in 58 games for a total of 50 innings pitched. He had a 2.88 ERA (best since 2010) and 62 SO (best since 2011).
St. Louis handed over Shelby Miller, who is not a bad pitcher. Coming off of his worst season yet, Miller had a 10-9 record, a 3.74 ERA in 31 starts. In 2013, he posted a 3.06 ERA and a 15-9 record, indicating that despite his ERA going up, he had many more no decisions this season.
Tyrell Jenkins is yet to make a major league appearance. This, obviously, would be the biggest question mark in the trade. He has a 4.23 career ERA in the minors, raising several eyebrows.
In a pitching rotation that features Julio Teheran, Atlanta seemed to be looking to solidify their pitching staff, which ranked #5 in ERA(3.38). So, in a way, makes little sense, especially since they had the 29th ranked scoring offense(3.54/game). But, now you have to look back at injuries. Both Kris Medlen and Brandon Beachy, part of the starting rotation, went down to Tommy John surgery. Even though they lost a chunk of their pitching staff throughout the season, they’ll be getting them back as the 2015 season nears and having Miller is more like an “insurance policy”.
Although losing a prized possession may sting, Atlanta made the move to keep their pitching staff up to par. The loss of Heyward, after the drop-off he has had since his rookie season, is not as bad as it seems. When you add the money possibly saved and the players received, it is a very decent trade. It is secure, not too risky, and may be good for the long run.
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