The Braves pulled off a true Blockbuster trade last night, sending Shelby Miller and Gabe Speier to Arizona for Dansby Swanson, Aaron Blair and Ender Inciarte.
I like Shelby Miller, I just got this card in the mail yesterday a few hours before this trade went down. But the Braves made a great deal, a steal even according to most national writers:
the price the Diamondbacks paid was “comically high.” - Keith Law
The deal “looks like a clear, obvious mistake” for the Diamondbacks,FanGraphs’ Jeff Sullivan writes.
The Diamondbacks don’t care that executives around the game think the Braves won the trade in a rout,Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports writes. (“Worst trade I’ve ever seen,” said one.)
Swanson is the prize of this deal, he was the first overall pick in June's Draft. "Swanson is a polished and very talented college player who could move through the minors quickly, the way Michael Conforto and Kyle Schwarber did." He's also a local boy from the same town as me - Marietta, GA. I ordered this card and it's Chrome counterpart last night from a seller that had Bowman Draft (releases today) listed already. I can't wait to chase this guys other cards and watch him develop in the minors.
Also the Braves get a rare thing in a No. 1 Overall Pick without having to completely tank. "Swanson joins Adrian Gonzalez and Shawn Abner as the only first overall draft picks to be traded while still in the minors by the teams that drafted them, MLB.com’s Jonathan Mayo writes. "
Aaron Blair was a first rounder in 2013 and may be major league ready. "Blair gets plenty of ground balls and has “a hint of Brandon Webb” to him. And Law writes that he would rather have six years of Blair or five years of Inciarte for the three years of Miller the Diamondbacks will receive."
"His 2015 season was his best by ERA. In 13 games with AA Mobile he went 6-3 with a 2.70 ERA in 13 games, and he didn't show much of a drop off with his move to AAA. In 13 games with the Reno Aces he went 7-2 with a 3.16 ERA in 13 games." - Talkingchop.com
Let's not forget the major league outfielder in the trade, Inciarte hit .303 in 132 games last year with a 3.3 WAR. He is a contact-hitting plus defender that should start in CF.
Sorry for the long winded, heavily quoted post but I'm really excited about this deal and for the future of the Braves. Thanks for reading.
