Last night big news came out of the majors as it was reported that the Braves had completed a deal with the Cubs, sending prospect first baseman Bryce Ball to Chicago in exchange for big league outfielder Joc Pederson.
Thursday night’s trade does two things: 1) it confirms that, at just 3 ½ games back in the division, the Braves are still all-in on contending this season… and… 2) that first baseman and franchise player Freddie Freeman is likely staying in Atlanta, even though “official” extension talks haven’t reportedly taken place.
In terms of this being a good or bad trade, obviously there’s no way to know at this point; however, I believe GM Alex Anthopoulos did really well with this deal.