Kevin Gausman Traded to Braves from Orioles in Multi-Player Deal at Deadline
July 31, 2018
The Atlanta Braves have acquired starting pitcher Kevin Gausman in a trade with the Baltimore Orioles just before Tuesday's trade deadline.
Baltimore shared the full details of the swap after Jon Heyman of Fancred first reported the trade:
The 27-year-old is under team control through at least the 2020 season, although he has a 5-8 record with a 4.43 ERA.
Atlanta entered Tuesday just a half-game back in the National League East race with a 56-47 record.
Starting pitching hasn't been much of an issue for this squad, which ranks sixth in the majors with a 3.68 starter ERA, via ESPN. Still, the back of the rotation could use some help with starters Brandon McCarthy and Mike Soroka currently injured.
Gausman has been up and down this season but is coming off a solid start Saturday when he allowed two runs in seven innings.
The former No. 4 overall draft pick has also shown his potential in the past, producing a 3.61 ERA in 2016. With two more years under team control, the Braves have an opportunity to be patient and potentially get the most out of the talented player.
Meanwhile, the Orioles had been aggressive on the trade market this month but were mostly shopping pending free agents, including Manny Machado and Zach Britton. However, interest for Gausman grew over the past couple of days, with Heyman reporting the Colorado Rockies and Milwaukee Brewers also interested.
The offer was apparently good enough for Baltimore to pull the trigger and help kickstart the rebuilding process.