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.

The post Braves bolster bullpen with Angels trade appeared first on ClutchPoints.