Another day, another roster shuffle for the Atlanta Braves, and this one comes with a dose of disappointment and a side of strategic planning. The Braves announced this afternoon that they’ve acquired right-handed reliever Hunter Stratton from the Pittsburgh Pirates, sending minor league outfielder Titus Dumitru and some cash the other way. On paper, it’s a relatively quiet transaction until you realize what it means.
Braves Move Chris Sale to the 60-Day IL
Let’s start with the tough news. To make room for Stratton on the 40-man roster, the Braves had to move Chris Sale to the 60-day injured list. Now, that’s not totally unexpected. He fractured his rib cage and hit the IL back on June 21, retroactive to the 19th. But it’s still a gut punch for a team that’s been leaning hard on Sale’s resurgence. He was pitching like the Sale of old before the injury derailed things, and now the earliest he can return is in the final 10 days of August.
That leaves a big hole in the rotation and forces the Braves to keep treading water in the Wild Card race without their most consistent starter. And if you’re the front office, you can’t just stand pat while the rotation takes that kind of hit.
Who Is Hunter Stratton?
Enter Stratton, a 28-year-old righty who’s bounced between the Pirates’ bullpen and Triple-A for the past two seasons. He’s not going to turn heads with big name recognition, but let’s not dismiss the guy outright. He made 36 appearances for Pittsburgh last season, and was worth 0.7 fWAR. He has shown the ability to miss bats, especially during his Triple-A stints, where he used to rack up strikeouts at an impressive clip.
That swing-and-miss stuff has dipped a bit recently. Sure, he’s only pitched 2.2 innings in the majors this year, this is more of a depth add than a game-changer. But you know how these things go—get a guy in a new environment, tweak a grip or two, and suddenly he’s giving you high-leverage innings when no one saw it coming.
The Braves are stashing Stratton in Triple-A for now, but don’t be surprised if he gets a call-up before long. The bullpen has had to shoulder a heavy load this year. With Sale out and rotation innings up for grabs, having an extra arm around with MLB experience is never a bad thing.
The Cost is Titus Dumitru
What did it cost the Braves? Outfielder Titus Dumitru and a little cash. Dumitru was in his fourth season in Atlanta’s system and had been playing in High-A Rome this year. He’s young, athletic, and shows flashes of potential, but he wasn’t on a fast track to the majors. For a team like Pittsburgh, it’s a chance to roll the dice on a projectable outfielder while freeing up a spot for someone with more immediate utility.
Ultimately, this deal is less about making a splash and more about plugging holes. The Atlanta Braves aren’t mailing it in. This is a team that still wants to compete, even with the injuries piling up. Stratton gives them a low-risk, medium-reward bullpen option, and the Chris Sale news, while a blow, doesn’t signal a white flag.
