Hours After Ronald Acuna Jr.s Big Win, Atlanta Braves Acquire Star Reliever Aaron Bummer in a 6-Player Deal

The off-season action is an interesting one to look at. As the time to tie certain loose ends has come, the Atlanta Braves make the most of this situation. There have been multiple reports from sources, including MLB.com, that the Braves are going to make some moves to strengthen their rotations. Is that taking effect? 

Finally, there’s some trade news on how the Braves have addressed their intention of strengthening their rotation. Atlanta has expressed in the past that they hope to win another World Series. But for that, they will need support after their first two starters, and they eventually sought that support from the Chicago White Sox’s free agent market a few hours after celebrating the 2023 NL – MVP, Ronald Acuna Jr. What timing though! 

Atlanta Braves’ Big Move

@JeffPassan put up a tweet a while ago sharing details of the trade. The Atlanta Braves seem to have onboarded a new lefty in a 6-player deal. The tweet said, “Braves receive: left-handed reliever Aaron Bummer, under club control through 2026”. That is quite a big move for the Braves. 

On Thursday night, the White Sox made a crucial declaration about trading the left-handed pitcher Aaron Bummer. That was in exchange for pitchers Jared Shuster, Mike Soroka and Riley Gowens. Additionally, infielders Nicky Lopez and Braden Shewmake. There has been conjecture about the 30-year-old being on the trade block since the deadline of the previous trade.

He has played for the White Sox for seven seasons since they selected him in the 19th round pick in the 2014 draft. In 32 appearances in 2022, he had a 2.36 ERA. A year ago, in 2021, in 62 games, it was a 3.51 ERA.

With a change in air for Bummer in Atlanta, the team expects their new acquisition to display the renewed form that built his reputation as a potent left-hander in his former team. The team now is gearing up to enter 2024 with a power packed roster. What could be better than to have Acuna and Bummer on the same team?

A Trade Amidst A Unanimous MVP Announcement

Speaking of star outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr., congratulations are in order after finishing ahead of fellow finalists in the MVP run. Exceeding the points that Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman of the Los Angeles Dodgers received, Ronald was unanimously bagged the recognition for his historic season.

A few hours before Atlanta’s announcement of their new player on Thursday, he was named the 2023 National League MVP. More so, all 30 voters in the ballot were of one mind! An excellent reflection of his on-point performance in his sixth major league season indeed. The fact that that he was named NL Player of the Month three times during the season already only pushed the odds in his favor.

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The 25-year-old was the engine for the Braves that led the league in several important offensive categories. They went 104-58 during the regular season. Acuna was dominant in the league with 217 hits and 149 runs. Not to mention his on-base percentage of .416, OPS of 1.012, and 383 bases. His batting was commendable too; he hit .337 with 106 RBIs. A direct outcome of these stats is that he finishing ahead of Betts, who got voted the runner-up unanimously.

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