Braves ‘get band back together’ in blockbuster deal with giants

The Atlanta Braves made an exchange on Monday night in the eleventh hour, bringing back a touch of the past in the person of San Francisco Giants outfielder Jorge Soler.

The Braves 2021 World Series MVP returns to Atlanta with a reliever and former ‘Night shift’ member Luke Jackson in a move that “brings the band back together,” as first reported by ESPN’s MLB Insider Jeff Passan.

This is a big move for Atlanta, as they killed two birds with one stone. They were in desperate need of an extra body and bat in the outfield. Plus, it never hurts to make one of the best bullpens in baseball even better. The key here is that there is a lot of familiarity with both players, as 2021 was only three years ago. However, while one Night Shift member returns, one leaves in the other half of the deal.

The Braves have already signed Eddie Rosario in an attempt to recapture the magic of 2021.

What did the Braves give up in this catch?

Tyler Matzek and minor league infielder Sabin Ceballos are returning to the Giants. Ceballos was Atlanta’s 17th overall best prospect according to MLB.com. Matzek, on the other hand, is a legend on the team and played one of the most important games in the team’s 2021 World Series title run in Game 6 of the NLCS.

While his playoff performance three years ago was unforgettable, Matzek has struggled with injuries the past two seasons, appearing in just 11 games since the start of the 2023 season. It’s a tough loss that will undoubtedly win the hearts of many fans, but baseball is a business.

Think of it this way: General manager Alex Anthopoulos gave up an oft-injured reliever and an average prospect for a healthy reliever and an outfielder with a .240/.330/.419 offensive line that also includes 12 home runs on the season. What’s more, this solidifies one of the corner outfield positions until Michael Harris II returns, presumably before the end of the season.

Soler is in the first year of the three-year, $42 million contract he signed with the Giants, so the Braves showed they are willing to accept a significant salary for more than just a half-season rental.

Jackson has struggled this season with the Giants, posting a 5.40 ERA in 36 appearances and recording 35 holds in that time.

The Braves general manager is working late into the night to improve the club and still has plenty of ammunition to land more quality players before the Monday 6:00pm EST deadline. This move shows that this team wants to win and understands that their title-winning window can still happen now with a few more moves on Tuesday.