Atlanta Braves bolster depth in Bonifacio, Russell without overpaying
By Brad Rowland
During the final moments prior to the 2014 trade deadline for Major League Baseball, the Atlanta Braves did what they always seem to do.
They added depth.
The Braves partnered with the Chicago Cubs in bringing two Major League quality players into the fold, and most importantly, they did not mortgage either the present or future in order to do so. Atlanta acquired versatile utility player Emilio Bonifacio and left-handed reliever James Russell in exchange for the rights to minor league catcher Victor Caratini. Immediately, this deal brought about memories of the 2012 trade deadline, when Frank Wren once again came together with the Cubs to add Reed Johnson and Paul Maholm for relatively mild cost.
Bonifacio is the “biggest name” in the deal and with good reason, since he has been productive at times throughout seven years in the Majors. His best attribute is almost certainly his speed, with 152 stolen bases in less than 3,000 plate appearances, and Bonifacio can be a game-changer with legs if given the opportunity. Unfortunately, the bat isn’t quite as strong for the 29-year-old, as he has posted a career slash line of .264/.321/.344 with little to nothing in the power department.
That said, Bonifacio (if deployed correctly) fills a super-utility role with the ability to play all over field (including shortstop or centerfield in a pinch), and he is a more than passable hitter (1.024 OPS this season and .715 OPS for his career) against left-handed pitching. Is he going to unseat Tommy La Stella, Chris Johnson or B.J. Upton in a starting role? Probably not, but that won’t stop pundits and fans alike for calling for more playing time if things go well, and it will be important to keep his overall context as a below-average hitter in mind when evaluating him with small samples.
On the pitching side, James Russell is simply an upgrade on what was already available to Fredi Gonzalez. When Luis Avilan stumbled mightily, Frank Wren and company were forced to hand the left-handed reins over to Chasen Shreve, and through no fault of his own, he simply isn’t adequate as a top left-handed option on a World Series contender. The 28-year-old Russell isn’t exactly Craig Kimbrel from a “stuff” perspective, but he has posted three straight seasons with an ERA under 3.60, and opposing left-handed batters have a career sub-.700 OPS against the left-hander.
The Braves did have to give up something, of course, and that comes in the form of one of their better hitting prospects. Victor Caratini was the second-best catching prospect in the Atlanta system (behind Christian Bethancourt) and his bat has been playing extremely well at the minor league level with a 148 wRC+ in 2013 and a 111 wRC+ this season. The 20-year-old was the seventh ranked Braves prospect from ESPN’s Keith Law prior to the year, and he is not an insignificant loss. Still, this isn’t the equivalent of giving up a top-tier guy for a left-handed reliever (i.e. Baltimore and Andrew Miller), and the return is more than fair in exchange for Caratini.
Lastly, there is the “what now?” question with regard to the roster. Luis Vasquez was designated for an assignment and Gavin Floyd was placed on the 60-day DL, and those moves are designed to clear roster spots. However, that doesn’t deal with the active, 25-man group, and the organization has some decisions to make. Frankly, Jordan Schafer (with his wRC+ of 32 this season and 70 for his career) should be an immediate candidate for DFA status because he is out of minor league options, and that is the simplest roster spot to create. On the pitching side, Shreve is the likely choice to make way for Russell, but ideally, the Braves would have two left-handed relievers on their run to October.
Is this the “home run” move that the Detroit Tigers or Oakland Athletics made on deadline day? Absolutely not, but at the same time, Frank Wren addressed two glaring needs in one fell swoop, and he did so without giving away the farm. James Russell and Emilio Bonifacio don’t singlehandedly make the Braves into World Series favorites, but sometimes, a general manager’s job is to plug holes, and Frank Wren excels in that particular area.