The Atlanta Braves have acquired OF Eddie Rosario from the Cleveland Indians in exchange for IF Pablo Sandoval. They also acquired OF Adam Duvall from Miami for C Alex Jackson.
As the Braves announce that they are not done yet, we will have to see how the Mets and Phillies respond. Atlanta has had a rough year ruined by injuries, most notably to Ronald Acuna Jr. Their biggest need this deadline season has been the outfield. They already got Joc Pederson from Chicago and now they bring in Rosario and Duvall. Duvall should be a familiar face for Braves fans. He hit 26 home runs with a .778 OPS over three seasons for the club. He signed with the Marlins this offseason and has shown his power, hitting the most home runs since 2017. He is sneakily fast with a good defensive ability. The biggest knock against him is that Duvall strikes out a ton without walking to make up for it. Rosario also does not walk but at least he does not have a high K rate. Rosario is on the injured list at the moment and has had a rough season. He hit 32 home runs in 2019 but once again, his walks are an issue. The Braves do not give up much for Rosario but maybe overpay for Duvall.
Rosario, 29, has hit seven home runs with nine stolen bases, a .296 OBP, and a .685 OPS in 306 Plate Appearances for Cleveland this year. In his MLB career for the Indians and Minnesota Twins, Rosario has hit 126 home runs with 48 stolen bases, a .308 OBP, and a .778 OPS in 3136 Plate Appearances.
Duvall, 32, has hit 22 home runs with a .277 OBP and a .755 OPS in 339 Plate Appearances for the Marlins this year. In his MLB career for the Marlins, Braves, Cincinnati Reds, and San Francisco Giants, Duvall has hit 135 homers with a .291 OBP and a .760 OPS.
The Marlins get the better return of the two for the future. Jackson was selected sixth overall in 2014 by Seattle but has not lived up to the hype. He has good minor league numbers but just could not break onto the Atlanta roster. He is 3-for-43 in his MLB career. He should get more chances on the Marlins. Sandoval is a name a ton of baseball fans will recognize. The former all-star is now a below-average pinch-hitter. His 91.5 mph average exit velocity is good but not much else is. Cleveland makes this trade merely to dump the remainder of Rosario’s $8 million salary from this season.
Sandoval, 34, has hit four home runs with a .302 OBP and a .645 OPS in 86 Plate Appearances for Atlanta this year. In his MLB career for the Braves, San Francisco Giants, and Boston Red Sox, Sandoval has hit 153 homers with a .330 OBP and a .773 OPS in 5052 Plate Appearances.
Jackson, 25, has hit 11 home runs with a .366 OBP and a 1.060 OPS in 123 Plate Appearances at AAA this year. In his minor league career Jackson has hit 87 home runs with a .320 OBP and a .769 OPS in 2040 Plate Appearances.
CarterHud 