News broke on Friday afternoon that the Atlanta Braves and Kansas City Royals agreed on a trade with former All-MLB First-Team selection Nick Anderson at the forefront of the deal.
Joel Sherman of The New York Post was the first to report the transaction, which comes on the heels of a Thursday night deal between the Braves and Chicago White Sox, which saw former All-Star Mike Soroka being one of the focal points.
In the six-player deal, the Braves received left-handed pitcher Aaron Bummer from the White Sox, who figures to help replace the role of Anderson, who performed at a high-level, in high-leverage situations moving forward.
Anderson, an All-MLB First-Team selection in 2020, was unlikely to be tendered a contract ahead of Friday’s deadline, according to Sherman, though he was projected by MLB Trade Rumors to earn $1.6 million in 2024.
In turn, the Braves received cash considerations from the Royals for a reliever in Anderson, who posted a 3.06 ERA with 36 strikeouts through 35 games last season. He did maintain a good strikeout rate, striking 9.2 hitters per nine innings. His lone season in Atlanta ended prematurely, as he was placed on the 60-day injured list with a right shoulder strain in mid-July.
While Anderson was quite successful in his return to the big leagues, he hasn’t been able to return to the player he was in Tampa Bay. Prior to undergoing Tommy John surgery, Anderson was one of the best relievers in baseball with the Rays. Across two full seasons, he pitched to a 5-2 record with a 1.85 ERA in 43.2 innings pitched. He struck out 68 batters, including 14 per nine innings during his tenure in St. Petersburg.
If he can even come close to sniffing those peripherals, it’s a very good deal and a worthy flier for a Royals team that owned the second-worst record in the league just a season ago.
