The Braves acquired left-hander Tommy Milone from the Orioles for two players to be named later prior to the Aug. 31 deadline. A little over two months after the fact, those players’ identities are now known. The Orioles are getting infielders AJ Graffanino and Greg Cullen, per an announcement from the Braves.
AJ Graffanino, the son of former major league infielder Tony Graffanino, joined the Braves as an eighth-round pick in 2018. He has since ascended to Single-A ball, where he slashed .301/.333/.378 in 153 plate appearances during his draft year. MLB.com ranked the 23-year-old as the Braves’ No. 23 prospect before the trade, writing that “he has very good hands and a strong arm suited for shortstop.” However, with just one professional home run so far, it’s unclear how much of an offensive impact Graffanino will make in the majors.
Cullen entered the pros in the same draft class as Graffanino as a 15th-round pick. He was not a high-ranked Braves prospect, but Cullen, also 23, did slash .270/.393/.401 (138 wRC+) with nine homers in 568 PA in Single-A ball in 2019.
However these prospects turn out, the Milone acquisition didn’t go as planned for the Braves. The soft-tossing veteran posted a disastrous 14.90 ERA in 9 2/3 innings with Atlanta. Between the two teams, the now-free agent logged a 6.69 ERA/4.76 FIP over 39 frames in 2020, though he did record excellent strikeout and walk numbers (9.23 K/9, 1.38 BB/9).
Gag
Off subject but letting O Day walk seems like a bad move. Are the Braves really going to go this cheap??
Exhibit A as to why the Braves choked!
This wasn’t as good as your first draft: “AA is a great GM!!”. Keep trying, you still have time to make a revision, man!
I see @NoBumgardenerEquals or whatever his name was has changed accounts once again…lol
Dude, get a life, or at least please God “follow” another team…
In other news, I actually though AJG might have a chance at being a solid role player moving forward. It’s just been a good minute since we have heard about him, due to injuries and obvious reasons.
This just makes that trade hurt even worse, giving up anything was too much, but the Braves had to at least try to get whatever cheap arm they could. Unfortunately, like Hamels, it turned out to be the wrong choice, and likely one that cost the Braves a chance at the NL pennant and a World Series championship…
That definitely stings, but it was also AA’s pen and his additions of Ozuna and d’Arnaud that propelled the Braves’ offense to that spot as well…
and it was Anderson who pretty much saved the Braves – not AA’s doing.
Keep crediting the wrong people! AA has done nothing for this organization that has propelled them forward.
Sounds like AJ is similar to his dad Tony but hasn’t got quite the pop.
You had a better shot at starting a playoff game than Milone. Keep thinking this move had much relevance and not giving AA credit for the moves he DID NOT make (i.e. trading away key prospects to fill needs rather than being creative via one-and-done deals that worked out).
Most GMs that had ATL’s farm would have taken the easier road, plundered them, and we’d be playing against Ian Anderson.
That is just a blatant assumption to fit your narrative.
“AA has done nothing for this organization that has propelled them forward!”
Yeah – you’re right. Signing Josh Donaldson and then Marcel Ozuna had nothing to do with the Braves winning the division.
Facts are fun that way. Surely you can pick a better misstep than Tommy Milone AA made to help one of MLB’s youngest teams almost make the World Series by defeating MLB’s be$t team without one of their best starting pitchers (Soroka).
That is the point. He doesn’t close out the deal. This team is not far from winning it all, yet they keep settling for division titles.
If there is time to spend, it is now!
He signed Marcel and Travis and they turned into 2 of the best hitters in baseball in 2020… so I wouldn’t say he has done nothing.
Yay NoBumgarner coming in hot to another Braves article with his invincible ignorance!
I applaud you for being able to consistently make unfounded statements all this time without any information to back it up. And when you cant make those statements because your username will make your smooth brain comments even more insane, you change it to something else that is of equal stupidity.
One player didn’t make or break the Braves playoff chances. AA has done a good job and it’s not just the moves he’s made but also the moves he hasn’t made. He signed acuna and Albies long term, bided time as the rebuild came together with short term contracts like Donaldson and Ozuna, and improved the bullpen. This is even more impressive since it’s only been 3 years since the Coppolella disaster (well deserved punishment).
You have so many problems with how the Braves are run but you never suggest solutions. Braves could have dumped all 2019 profits into player payroll and still would have been under the luxury tax and outside the top 5 teams in payroll. The time to spend is not now and that especially holds true for a publicly traded company that has a responsibility to their shareholders first over Braves fans. It sucks to say as fan but it’s understandable. I personally like liberty media’s approach to adjust payroll on team revenue because it creates accountability that can be verified. Teams can’t claim they don’t make money if the public financials show the opposite and conversely fans can’t complain about a lack of spending if the records support the idea revenue doesn’t support these expenses.
If there is a time to spend I think it’s the 2021 offseason. I’d be willing to guess the liberty financials for the Braves in 2020 would support that
D’arnaud, Ozuna, Melancon, Greene, Martin, just off the top of my head for this team. Not to mention Donaldson last year and the better decision not to re-sign him but he’s done nothing…okay kiddo, whatever you say.
Josh Donaldson.
Ozuna.
Bringing Anderson up.
AA doesn’t set the budget. Jesus. I seriously wish some of you boomers would understand how the Braves operate and their ability to spend money.
@Vtncsc What do “Jesus” and “boomers” have to do with it? I will tell you, nothing.
In addition to building one of the top bullpens in baseball from what had been a trash heap. Gag just wants to hate. He conveniently overlooks all the good moves AA has made, instead bashing on ones that he didn’t .. as if he should sign or trade for the top 5 available players every year.
AA is not perfect, but he has done a much better job than most of the GM’s in baseball the last few years.
Steve, I would agree AA has been exemplary.
Everyone said he would gut the farm right away and pointed to the Toronto contention years. Now it’s like people are upset he didn’t gut the farm and piss away the the teams future. Personally I like his approach because i think it extends the window of contention. Maybe it’s a personal preference but I don’t want to repeat the bandaid free agent years like when Braves fans were pumped about the “Up Up and a Hey” outfield
@BravesAbsentReality: Here we go, thinking that there was a winning deal to be had and blaming AA for not making it, when you’re not involved in the process.
It’s easy to think he could have done more, but the reality is that the trade market was thinner than arguably it’s ever been with more teams competing for the most playoff spots in MLB history (due to playoff expansion). Teams are buyer when they’re competing, even if they’re fringe playoff teams – meaning fewer sellers. They could have sold some of their future for Clevinger, but there are no assurances he was the answer considering he wasn’t even healthy for the playoffs.
Now Elias needs to pick Milone up on a minor league deal with a spring invite and flip him again next year at the deadline.
Graffanino/Cullen are the proverbial cherries on top of that rebuild? Go by your kids O’s hats to root them on, because at that rate, you won’t be alive to see them compete.
troll.
you do realize tommy milone is a turd? Getting a player with a pulse, i.s a win for the Orioles.
We both got burned by Gausman, let’s hug it out. MLB thanks you for his development.
could not agree more. Gausman was very poorly handled. beat the yanks in yankee stadium in the playoffs, didn’t start the following year in the rotation. Duquette was a joke and everyone knew it.
The fact that the Braves gave up their 23rd best prospect in their system for a turd like Milone, is a win all day homie. They keep making stupid trades like that, they won’t be competitive much longer. Saw it happen with the O’s 12-16 when Duquette was at the helm, and it’s hard to watch
So does the team trading the bigger name guy want to trade him for multiple PTBNL’s so that if he does good for the receiving team, they can get like top 100 prospect?
Exactly. Cause anyon can land a trout or a vladdie.
Anyone seen loud mouth briffle? Think he choked just like his Braves
Another amazing Alex trade. Move prospects for trash.
Cullen is a very, very good offensive prospect. The O’s got a really nice pick-up here
Braves got absolutely robbed here. I’d been upset knowing these were the guys before TM pitched for us. I’m not saying these guys would have been or are gonna be anything special, but AJ is the type of player you package with other prospects to land a significantly better deal or even this package justifies a better player. Whatever… didn’t lose much I guess, just wish we had those chips in our back pocket for a better trade down the line
The only reason there is a loser in this deal is because Milone was a negative on the Braves.
False… this trade would have been bad even regardless of when the names of the transactions went through. Anything more than cash in reality is an overpay and any “top prospect” is way too much
A couple of lottery tickets for a minor league invitee is a HUGE win for the O’s no matter how either of these guys turn out. A rebuild is taking chances on players like Milone on the cheap and cashing in your chips for a down the line asset (potentially). Could be a solid move as you can never have enough SS prospects that you could potentially move around the Diamond. With the O’s arms that are on the way it is nice to offset them with some position players. Solid move Mike Elias.
For what Milone contributed, the Braves should have given up some paper cups and a dollar. O’s win this one. Cullen looks like he could contribute at some point.
O’s picking up a lot of middle infielders and stockpiling them. Could provide versatility around the diamond and perhaps trade value and options in years ahead.
The Braves need to stop trading with the Orioles.
As a Mets fan, I’m feeling really good about this trade. Alonso just went from six to midnight. Cohen took a $600 shot of vodka off his wife’s belly button on his yacht. Thank you Braves. Cheers, happy Friday.
Why is it I get that feeling the Braves will let Ozuna walk, look for a platoon hitter ( Joc Pederson type ) and look for a inning eating # 4 or 5 arm.
Yes, and dumpster diving 101.