The Braves acquired right-handed reliever Hunter Stratton from the Pirates in exchange for minor league outfielder Titus Dumitru and cash, the teams announced Tuesday. Pittsburgh had designated Stratton for assignment last week. Atlanta transferred Chris Sale to the 60-day IL to open a 40-man roster spot for Stratton, who has been optioned to Triple-A Gwinnett.
Stratton, 28, has an unsightly 23.63 earned run average in the majors this year. However, that has come in a tiny sample of 2 2/3 innings. Over the 2023 and 2024 seasons, he had a combined 3.26 ERA in 49 2/3 innings. His 21% strikeout rate and 41% ground ball rate were both around average while his 4.9% walk rate was quite strong.
Though his major league ERA is through the roof this year, his minor league work has largely been in line with his pre-2025 results. In 24 2/3 Triple-A innings this year, he has a 3.65 ERA, 23.8% strikeout rate, 7.9% walk rate and 50% ground ball rate. He still has a full slate of options, though is burning through the first of those here in 2025.
For a pitcher with solid results and roster flexibility, it was a bit surprising that the Pirates gave up on him. But unsurprisingly, there has been enough interest that Atlanta has forfeited a prospect in order to skip the waiver line and add some bullpen depth.
Dumitru, 22, was selected by Atlanta in the 16th-round of last year’s draft. He played at the Single-A level last year and has been at High-A this year. Put together, he has played in 91 professional games with a .227/.314/.324 line and 97 wRC+.
Sale was placed on the 15-day IL a little over a week ago due to a rib cage fracture. The club didn’t provide many details about his expected absence at that time, but it seemed fair to expect he wouldn’t be back anytime soon. Today’s transfer confirms that the club doesn’t expect him back until mid-August at the earliest.
For now, Atlanta is operating with a rotation consisting of Spencer Strider, Spencer Schwellenbach, Grant Holmes, Bryce Elder and Didier Fuentes. Adding to that group would be a priority for the club if they plan on being deadline buyers. President of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos is hoping to bolster the club rather than subtract from it but they are currently in a tough spot, 7.5 games back of a playoff spot. They have some time to climb but doing so without Sale, Reynaldo López and AJ Smith-Shawver will be a challenge. On the other hand, if they hang in there, it’s possible Sale and López could be back later in the year.
Photo courtesy of Michael McLoone, Imagn Images
A nothing trade. Stratton hasnt been the same since the injury, and the return looks like organizational depth
Let the Pirates sale begin. What do they want for IKF? How about Pereza or Pereira?
Did you even bother to read the article?
Stratton had been dfa before the trade.
Trading him isn’t an indication that a “sell off “ has begun
Leave it to a Yankee fan to be poorly educated
IKF will 100 percent be traded. He is a free agent after this season and playing well so the pirates will take the best offer on him.
He was fine in AAA. He’s thrown like 2 MLB innings. Looks like a decent move but I have no details on how his stuff/velo is doing
This is a good move for both teams.
At least the Pirates got something for Stratton. If any team can turn around a struggling pitcher, it’s Atlanta.
Pirates get a A+ OF who is not hitting and cash. Nutting loves cash….
PiratesFan1981
Bob probably got enough to take the family to dinner tonight.
@panj at McDonalds with some money to keep in his pocket
Best of luck to Stratton. That awful knee injury really derailed him, and now the Bucs actually have a solid bullpen without him.
Also Titus Dumitru is a heck of a baseball name. Sounds like a Romanian war hero.
Not bad as it sits. The extra control with Hunter makes me want to keep him but the team needs bats rather than trying to bring a pitcher back to form. Bat isn’t amazing looking but another option to try.
Who do you lose in current pen to keep him?
He had options.
Pitchers get injuries.
Why have they kept a 207 hitting AAA second baseman on the roster for two years?
ML information is basically non existent since his injury.
Dumb move by Cherington.
@ai lose no one by keeping him
Cool story, anyways, do we think teams would still offer something for Sale in hopes he comes off his injury and is back to form?
The question for me is why would the Braves (who said they wouldn’t trade Sale even when he was healthy) trade a potential 2026 ace at the time when his value is so much lower than it was and can be with some decent fortune with the rehab from a non-arm/leg injury? My real point and question is what is the point of even asking when they said they weren’t gonna trade him when his value was sky high?
You trade Sale if you can because you can. Last year. Makes real $. You want to bet on a healthy year without age decline or get a trade return and sign or trade for a pitcher next year. Just trade for something better than a average 2b prospect and don’t pay his salary.
I don’t really understand some of that comment. Oddly written. The Braves are at least trying to compete next year ancd have him under contract. We see now how much they need SP. Even if you were gonna trade him you gamble he will come back (not an unreasonable gamble as he should) and do it in the off-season. If not you waste a potential 26′ ace for a low return package. I think it’s irrational to explain why they should by saying “because they can”.
“I don’t really understand”
I’m not surprised.
Well you shouldn’t be because it’s just a step above pig latin. “Last year.” What does that mean? Chris Sales last year? He’s signed thru 2026. U mean he’ll never pitch again because of a rib cage injury?
You don’t trade Sale because “you can”. Good grief. You paint it as if it is so easy to acquire an ace.
Alex doesn’t do long-term pitching contracts. If he did, they would’ve kept Max.
The Braves don’t have the farm system depth to trade for an ace.
I’ll happily see the Braves keep Sale. He’s important to this year and next.
This year is looking to be over. Are they going to come back and make playoffs? Could but are the odds so good you turn down a trade.
Who says Sale will be ace next year? Could be but again do you want to bet on it.
If someone gets stupid and gives you fair value it would be wise to trade him. You don’t have to replace him with another ace.
I wouldn’t turn down a trade because of 2025. I’m not saying it’s an absurd take to say they should take calls but he’s hurt so you maybe aren’t gonna get the value to justify it anyway (you yourself hint at that when you say “do you want to bet on it?”). Honestly if the situation is that he’s hurt with an almost irrelevant injury (long term) then why wouldn’t I expect him to be very good again next year? He’s been pitching like an ace in 24 and 25. But if a team is thinking like me and wants him for 2026 I’m not against trading him necessarily. It would depend on what they got. But I think it’s pointless because of the injury lessening his value. And my main point is that they said they wouldn’t trade him.
I don’t care what they say. People say stuff all the time and back track.
I don’t think he will be traded. But if someone isn’t concerned about injury and Arizona isn’t selling or something who knows.
Something about father time being undefeated. He looks great now but a year from now you never know.
All about avoiding risk. You have to get fair return or you take your chances he will be fine again for another year.
Since when does some team have to get stupid to offer fair value? Why would any team trade away a player for less than fair value? Now that would be stupid.
Sty-It seems to me that what they are saying is that they must take the definite injury risk into play in saying what the fair trade value is.
Some posters can be more conservative than others in assessing how much to take thereby affecting the perceived fair value.
Sale has had a spotty career lately because of his injuries.
But to answer yes of course teams would offer something. He is signed for 2026 and is likely gonna come back this year and be ready for the postseason unless he has another injury. It wasn’t a chronic arm thing, just a freak injury.
Sale leads the league in freak injuries.
Was the bike injury on a stationary bike?
Well the point is it was not an injury from throwing or a major leg injury from running/jumping/etc. So it’s not anything that should matter going forward.
In all fairness I don’t really believe in “freak injuries” for the most part. I mean sure you can get hit by a pitch or stepped on. Even that can be not entirely random. There are players with over 1000 PA who have never been hit.
If Sale is pitching in the postseason, that means he’s been traded because the Braves will not be playing in postseason until they get a “thinking” manager!
1. I meant if they made it obviously. Well I think Fangraphs has them at a supposed 25% chance or so. Not impossible.
2. You really think a managers strategy makes that huge of a difference in whether a team makes the playoffs or not? That’s not even the main thing they do in the regular season. And they don’t even make all the decisions we think they do.
3. But he has had them in the playoffs 7 straight years despite this supposed inability to use reason.lol
4. If you think they need a new manager I don’t think that’s unreasonable but is it really the main reason why they are playing poorly? Highly doubt it. Your saying that is the equivalent of saying you don’t know. The first thing people point to is the manager because they are clueless because they aren’t on the team.
Well Snitker went against analytics in Tuesdays game against the Angels by 1st, starting 2 LH Bats (Verdugo and Baldwin) vs a LH Pitcher, taking RH Murphy out of lineup who was 3-8 2 HR 5 RBI in last 2 games. Verdugo and Baldwin went 0-7 vs LH Pitching! Then he put LH Pitcher (Dylan Lee) in the 8th inning to face ALL RH batters except ONE LH BATTER in entire lineup! Well, he got one out (the LH batter) then double, walk, double and 3 earned runs later a LOSS! Snitker is the dumbest leader of any professional sports team, PERIOD!
I would speculate he started Verdugo because he’s 3-8 with HR and 2 BB against Anderson. Verdugo should’ve been DFAd a month ago by Anthopolous. As to Lee, he is your best reliever. He hadn’t given up a run in 15 appearances. You use him based on when the best hitters are coming up (he actually dominates righties anyway). Did Baldwin not line our twice in the game? Anderson usually only goes 4 innings anyway. It’s kind of a set thing in that Baldwin isn’t gonna go several days without playing. Even the terrible Verdugo reached base. I think it was odd having so many lefties at the bottom of the lineup but in fairness if for whatever reason you are starting them you can’t just spread them thru the lineup the way this lineup is right now. All your best hitters are stacked at the top (Ozuna is there but hitting terribly). After the top it’s just a bunch of poor hitters largely. Best to just try to score with the top of the lineup. Maybe they can string together some hits. Anything from the bottom of the order is an unexpected gift.
I also disagree with this blanket “went against analytics” as if there is only ever one way to interpret data. There are several factors in a decision. It’s not merely “right or left handed”. This is like when ignorant people say “science says” like all scientists always agree. They are often just saying “scientists getting money from a big corporation have a consensus that…” or “a large group of scientists who share some basic worldview or agenda concede that…”. Or we say “the right says” “and “the left says” in politics.
Lee is great against righties because of his ability to backdoor that slider. It doesn’t matter tho if it’s right or left they can’t usually hit his slider. The lefty matchup would be beneficial for his fastball but his main pitch is his slider. But he’s your best pitcher. You use him when the game’s on the line. You would rather save your best pitcher to pitch a hypothetical important 9th inning. It was 0-0 in that inning. Who knows what the score will be in the 9th. All that factors in. Ironically he is actually being saber-minded in a way. Lee is the closer basically. He brings him in in the most important inning whether it’s the 8th or 9th. That’s not old school. It’s smart.
A+ Pirates
Why A+? They didn’t really accomplish anything in all likelihood except getting some cash. The only way the Pirates ever get an A+ is if they actually did something to get better for once or at least to get solid prospects.
How can you expect a solid prospect with Stratton? He’s been injured and his stock will not get the Pirates “solid prospect”. What they got, is exactly what Stratton is worth in today’s market.
I don’t. I merely mean there is no A+ scenario here. Who can get that excited about this deal? But there is also the fact that a contender (in their mind) wanted him enough to trade (and assumed other teams would want him) yet the pirates give him away. Maybe it’s the right move but perhaps they could have kept him and actually given him more than 2 innings to build his value. Regardless I just mean who says A+ to such an uneventful deal?
I disagree. If the Pirates asked for more from any team for Stratton, they would ask if the Pirates lost their minds and then hang up on the Pirates. Pirates got in return to what Stratton is worth in today’s market. Plus, it’s not like a reliever is going to get a bonafide position player anyways. Relievers are replaceable and be happy the Pirates were able to get something for Stratton. Not all is lost.
Rishi-I think that Cherington is getting cocky thinking that he has plenty of relievers and dfa’ed someone that he should have kept.
Chang should have been shown the door,
Shame how Stratton has performed this year. The trio of him, Nicholas and Holderman have been obliterated all season and I expected a lot out of all 4. Relievers are quite fickle. Then you have someone like Santana who was awful on the Yankees and is the Pirates best arm.
Not enough appearances to judge Stratton.
He has done well the other times he has pitched for the Pirates.
He does not throw 98 so Cherington is not impressed.
Others could have been easily dfa’ed.
Get ready, Braves fans…AA is about to keep diving further down the dumpsters!!!!
Braves brass have more money for their foundation and land, building purchases than they have to spend on the team! AA will keep dumpster diving until they sell the team!
Another bad take. They have been spending plenty. MLB has it where you basically have to dip under the luxury tax every 3 years. I grew up watching a perennial playoff team with crap payrolls. That’s not the problem now (tho it is a hindrance this year trying to dip under the luxury tax). And don’t give me “these owners can all afford to give 500M contracts.” That is living in an ideal fairytale world where MLB is not a business.
More importantly, why are you still a “fan” of the Braves?
Is Titus Dumitru a character from Games of Thrones or Gladiator II?
Nutting got some cash out of the deal and that’s all he cares about.
Braves GM needs to go! He is main problem.