Atlanta Braves Clippings

Friday, July 31, 2015

Braves.com

Miller, Braves fall to Phillies

By Mark Bowman and Nick Suss / MLB.com | @mlbbowman | July 30th, 2015

PHILADELPHIA -- Aaron Harang and Shelby Miller came into Thursday night's Braves-Phillies game a combined 0-14 since May 17. Harang broke his streak. Miller didn't.

Harang threw five innings in his first start since July 1 -- when he went on the disabled list with plantar fasciitis -- in the Phillies' 4-1 win at Citizens Bank Park. The winning decision for Harang ended a streak of eight straight starts in which he registered the losing decision and nine straight winless starts in total. He allowed just one run despite the nine hits he surrendered and struck out three.

"All of his pitches were sharp," Phillies interim manager Pete Mackanin said. "He threw strikes. He just had a higher pitch count than we like. That's why we took him out of the game. But he certainly looked like a different guy than he was while he was pitching with that foot injury. We were real pleased with his performance."

The loss for the Braves was their fourth in a row and seventh in eight games. Phillies bats found Miller's pitches early as he worked up to 59 pitches through the first three innings, but it wasn't until the fourth -- when four Phillies in a row singled -- that Philadelphia was able to break through against the right-hander. Limited run support has led Miller to go winless while posting a 3.19 ERA over his past 13 starts.

"It was definitely hot, but I don't think that was the reason at all," said Miller, who changed his jersey multiple times while sweating profusely throughout the outing. "You play the game in humidity. Atlanta is hot and here is hot. You've got to get used to that. There is no excuse for that."

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED

Phils finally get to Miller: Miller entered this game with 15 1/3 consecutive scoreless innings against the Phillies and a 2.03 ERA in six career starts against them. But Atlanta's All-Star hurler started to waver after he allowed four consecutive one-out singles in the fourth and then three consecutive one-out singles in the fifth. The 11 hits he surrendered matched the career high he allowed on July 10 at Coors Field vs. the Rockies.

1,000th time's a charm: Playing in his 1,000th game as a Phillie, catcher Carlos Ruiz came to the plate for his second at-bat of the night with the bases loaded in the fourth inning after the three players before him all reached with singles. Ruiz joined in on the action with a single of his own, plating Odubel Herrera and Freddy Galvis and giving the Phillies a 2-1 lead.

Lifeless offense: The Braves have scored three runs or fewer in eight straight games and in 10 of 13 games since the All-Star break. They loaded the bases with three straight singles to begin the third inning. But after Freddie Freeman struck out, A.J. Pierzynski's two-out infield single accounted for the only run produced with that threat against Harang, who has allowed one run in 19 innings against his former Atlanta teammates this year.

"[Freeman] is the guy you want there and it didn't happen," Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez said. "I'll take my chances there with him every single time in that situation."

Brown goes boom: Domonic Brown continued the turnaround he's been in the middle of for the last eight games on Thursday. Brown smacked two hits, including his first home run of the season, marking his fourth multi-hit game in 10 days. The home run was Brown's first since Sept. 16, 2014.

"He hit a missile," Mackanin said. "It was nice to see. I think he's been so concerned about the outer half of the plate. I think he's got to remember that mistakes are made over the plate and on the inner half. I think that he's got to get back to that.

QUOTABLE

"He might've been lurking in the shadows somewhere, but I haven't seen him." --Mackanin. on whether or not Cole Hamels was in the clubhouse on Thursday in the wake of his potential trade to the Texas Rangers

SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS

This game was just the fifth the Braves have played, dating back to 2000, during which they scored one run or less while recording at least 12 hits.

REPLAY REVIEW

After Miller allowed four straight Phillies to single, giving the Phillies a 2-1 lead, Harang stood at the plate with Ruiz on first and Brown on second base. Brown ventured a little too far off second and Pierzynski threw down to second with Andrelton Simmons covering. On initial appearance, Brown looked safe and such was second-base umpire Gabe Morales' call. However, replay showed that when Brown stood up out of his slide, there was a brief moment where neither his hand nor foot were on the bag while Simmons still had the tag applied and the call on the field was overturned. The review lasted an estimated one minute and 20 seconds.

WHAT'S NEXT

Braves: Williams Perez will make his first start in more than a month when Atlanta and Philadelphia resume their four-game series on Friday night at 7:05 p.m. ET. Perez has been sidelined since a liner struck his left foot during a June 26 start in Pittsburgh.

Phillies: With Friday marking the Trade Deadline, nobody's quite sure what the Phillies' roster will look like when they host the Braves for game two of this four-game set. David Buchanan will be called up from Triple-A to start on the mound. But, plenty more is at stake for the Phils, who with a win could finish July with a winning record. Prior to July, the best record the team had in any month was an 11-18 May.

Braves seem content to make no more trades

By Mark Bowman / MLB.com | @mlbbowman | 12:55 AM ET

PHILADELPHIA -- Though Braves president of baseball operations John Hart admitted that he has continued to receive calls from teams interested in veteran catcher A.J. Pierzynski, he indicated that he is not actively attempting to complete another deal before the non-waiver Trade Deadline arrives today at 4 p.m. ET.

But given how active Hart, assistant general manager John Coppolella and their staff have been dating back to the offseason, it certainly would not be wise to dismiss the possibility that they could stir the trade market yet again by finding the value they would need to be persuaded to trade either Julio Teheran or Cameron Maybin.

The Braves have toyed with the idea of trading Pierzynski, but it appears they are now leaning toward keeping him around for at least a few more weeks to help mentor a young pitching staff that now includes three rookie starters.

Like Jonny Gomes, Pierzynski might be more likely to be moved to a pennant contender in August. But for now, he is willing to extend the role he has served throughout this season.

"I knew what I signed up for when I signed here," Pierzynski said. "You always want to play for a team that is competing or has a chance to win. But at the same time, you've got to be a professional and do your job. You try to help out whoever you can help whenever you can."

If Pierzynski is definitely off the block, Teheran and Maybin would stand as the club's most attractive trade chips. But the club has made it known they will not move either of these players unless they are blown away by an offer.

Given that Alex Wood was dealt to the Dodgers on Wednesday, the Braves might be even less tempted to move Teheran, whose value is as low as it has been since he became a Major League mainstay in 2013. Atlanta certainly does not want to sell low on the 24-year-old right-hander, who is owed just $28.6 million over the next four seasons.

But the Braves have enough starting pitching depth that they might be tempted to gain value from a club looking for starting pitching before today's deadline.

As Maybin has batted .218 since the All-Star break, he has reignited the fear that he might lose some of the value he enhanced with an impressive first half. But the Braves do not seem to be intent to move the rejuvenated center fielder unless they gain a significant return.

As this week has progressed, the Braves have continued to get unanticipated calls from teams interested in veteran reliever Jason Frasor, who has impressed since signing with Atlanta after being released by the Royals earlier this month.

Frasor has surrendered just one hit in the 3 2/3 scoreless innings he has completed for the Braves. Though walks have been an issue for him all year, he has limited right-handed batters to a .204 (10-for-49) batting average.

Vizcaino ready to be next Braves closer

By Mark Bowman / MLB.com | @mlbbowman | 1:05 AM ET

PHILADELPHIA -- Arodys Vizcaino spent this season's first three months serving a performance-enhancing drug suspension and has made just 32 career appearances at the Major League level. But the once highly-regarded pitching prospect now will get a chance to serve as Atlanta's closer.

With Jason Grilli sidelined by a season-ending Achilles injury and Jim Johnson traded to the Dodgers on Wednesday, Vizcaino will now draw the responsibility of protecting ninth-inning leads for the Braves, who have routinely altered the makeup of their bullpen throughout this season.

Andrew McKirahan, who also missed nearly all of this season's first half while serving a PED suspension, was the only member of the Braves bullpen on Thursday night who was on Atlanta's Opening Day roster. McKirahan likely would not have drawn that distinction had he not been a Rule 5 Draft pick in December.

Atlanta's bullpen includes two veterans -- Jason Frasor and David Aardsma -- who were acquired as free agents at different points within the past six weeks. But neither of them possess an overpowering repertoire like Vizcaino, whose plus fastball has averaged 96.3 mph this season.

Vizcaino has surrendered just one run and six hits in the nine innings he has completed since joining Atlanta's bullpen on July 6. The 24-year-old right-hander has recorded eight strikeouts and issued four unintentional walks, but not more than one in any of his 10 appearances.

As the Braves look toward next season, their closer candidates include Chris Withrow and Shae Simmons, who are both recovering from Tommy John surgery. But they will now take advantage of the opportunity to see how Vizcaino handles the role.

Braves get Olivera in huge 3-team deal

Johnson, top prospect Peraza go to Dodgers in trade

By Mark Bowman / MLB.com | @mlbbowman | July 30th, 2015

PHILADELPHIA -- Though the Braves did not have the financial means necessary to compete for the six-year, $62.5 million deal the Dodgers provided Cuban free agent infielder Hector Olivera this past winter, they remained interested in him and ultimately got him at the expense of losing both Jose Peraza and Alex Wood.

With the three-team trade they completed with the Dodgers and Marlins on Thursday, the Braves received Olivera, left-handed reliever Paco Rodriguez, Minor League pitcher Zach Bird and the 2016 competitive balance Draft pick (No. 34 overall) the Dodgers received from the Marlins in exchange for Mat Latos and Michael Morse.

The Braves paid a hefty price as they sent Peraza, Wood, Jim Johnson, Luis Avilan and Bronson Arroyo to the Dodgers. But Atlanta's president of baseball operations John Hart viewed this as an economical way to strengthen his future lineups with a potential impact bat that could provide Freddie Freeman the protection he has lacked this year.

"We look at this as the first building block to building the team," Hart said of Olivera. "We think this guy is versatile enough. He can play third, he can play second or he could play left field. But we just liked the bat and we felt this was going to be a good piece."

Because the Dodgers have already provided a $28.5 million signing bonus, the Braves will simply be responsible for the $32.5 million Olivera is owed from 2016-20. Atlanta also saved some money as the Dodgers are picking up an undisclosed portion of the approximate $7.6 million owed to Arroyo, who has been recovering from Tommy John surgery since the Braves acquired him from the D-backs in the Touki Toussaint deal a month ago.

Though the 30-year-old Olivera has played just 19 professional games, the Braves have seen enough of him in international play and during multiple workouts this past winter to believe it made much more sense to provide him an average annual salary of $6.5 million over the next five seasons than to pay the much more significant price that would have been required to land a proven bat via free agency or trade.

Olivera has batted .387 with a .968 OPS in 31 at-bats at Triple-A Oklahoma City this year. There was thought he would make his Major League debut with the Dodgers after the All-Star break, but he has been sidelined since June 13 with a hamstring injury. The Braves hope he starts a rehab stint by the end of next week and becomes Atlanta's everyday third baseman a short time later.

The Braves also believe they gained some value via the additional first round pick and Rodriguez, an effective left-handed specialist who recently had bone chips removed from his elbow. The Braves had some medical concerns about Rodriguez, but believe he will pitch again this year.

Peraza has been considered Atlanta's top prospect over the course of the past year, but the Braves gained some concerns about the speedy 21-year-old middle infielder as he batted .295 with a .319 on-base percentage and .380 slugging percentage through his first 95 games with Triple-A Gwinnett this year. His limited plate discipline and lack of power led the Braves to believe he will not be Major League ready next year.

Wood has posted a 3.09 ERA through his first 55 career starts. Though he struggled with his command during the early portion of this season, the highly-competitive left-hander has impressed during the two starts he has made since the All-Star break.

Johnson stood as the most attractive piece among the available veterans the Braves will attempt to trade before they become free agents this year. The veteran reliever has bounced back from an ugly 2014 season to produce a 2.25 ERA in 49 appearances this year.

Avilan proved to be one of Atlanta's top relievers in 2013 and then struggled most of last year. The left-handed reliever has produced a 3.58 ERA in 50 appearances this year.

"[The Dodgers] weren't looking to move Olivera at all," Hart said. "But I think as we walked through it and began to expand it over the last 48 to 72 hours, we felt there would be some legs to the deal."

GM Hart happy to bring in a talent like Olivera

By Mark Bowman / MLB.com | @mlbbowman | July 30th, 2015

PHILADELPHIA -- When Hector Olivera stood as one of the most attractive Cuban free agents this past winter, he drew the attention of some Braves fans who hoped he'd end up with their club. But that interest paled in comparison to the attention he received once it was learned that the Braves had actually acquired him on Thursday at the expense of losing both Alex Wood and Jose Peraza.

The Braves sent Wood, Peraza, Jim Johnson, Luis Avilan and Bronson Arroyo to the Dodgers in exchange for Olivera, left-handed reliever Paco Rodriguez, Minor League pitcher Zach Bird and the 34th selection in next year's Draft, a competitive balance draft pick the Dodgers acquired in this three-team deal that included the Marlins.

Many Braves fans questioned why the Braves would give up their top prospect (Peraza) and a proven starting pitcher (Wood) in exchange for a 30-year-old prospect (Olivera) who has played a total of 19 games at the professional level.

But the Braves viewed this as a sensible way to deal from a couple areas of strength (starting pitching and middle infielders) in order to satisfy the need they have to fill their future lineup with a legitimate middle-of-the-order bat.

"There's a lot to like about Wood and there's a lot to like about Peraza," Braves president of baseball operations John Hart said. "Quite frankly, our people did not think that Jose was going to be ready to step in and play second base next year and that he needs some more development time."

Wood's velocity has dropped since he arrived at the Major League level just two years ago and there has long been concerns that his unorthodox delivery might lead to arm problems. But the highly-competitive southpaw has missed just one start because of injury over the past three seasons and more importantly, he has produced a 3.00 ERA through the 44 starts made dating back to the start of 2014.

But in order to gain the bat they were seeking, the Braves felt they could deal from the starting pitching depth they have gained via various deals over the past eight months. In addition, they will have the financial means necessary to vie for top starting pitchers on this year's free-agent market.

Still, parting ways with a controllable, talented left-handed starter like Wood seemed to be even more surprising than the inclusion of Peraza, who has raised some questions as he has produced a .317 on-base percentage, drawn just 12 unintentional walks and compiled a .379 slugging percentage in 96 games with Triple-A Gwinnett this year.

Peraza's limited plate discipline and lack of power could simply be a product of where he is in his development. The 21-year-old middle infielder played just 44 games at Double-A Mississippi last year and was elevated to Triple-A at the start of this year.

The Braves do not believe Peraza will be Major League ready by the start of next season and thus opted to use him to gain the immediate benefit they could receive from Olivera, a power-hitter who has been compared to Travis Fryman and Scott Rolen.

In Olivera, the Braves believe they have gained the first of the big bats they want to add to their lineup before the end of next year. He has played just 19 games at the professional level in the United States. But the $7.6 million average annual salary he will receive over the next five seasons added to the attraction the Braves gained when they traveled to the Dominican Republic to scout him twice this past winter.

Though there have been some concerns about Olivera's right elbow, Hart said the Braves medical staff did a thorough review and did not find anything alarming. Once he overcomes a hamstring strain within the next week, he could soon thereafter conclude this season as Atlanta's third baseman.

"We feel like he is in his prime," Hart said of Olivera. "If this guy was on the open market, he'd be looking at least a five-year deal and it would certainly be a different set of economics."

Braves sad to see teammates traded away

By Mark Bowman / MLB.com | @mlbbowman | July 30th, 2015

PHILADELPHIA -- The usually upbeat Braves clubhouse had a somber feel to it on Thursday afternoon as the players arrived at Citizens Bank Park and dealt with the fact that three more of their teammates had just been traded.

Though the Braves might have enriched their future on Thursday by acquiring infielder Hector Olivera in a trade that sent Alex Wood, Jim Johnson, Luis Avilan and top prospect Jose Peraza to the Dodgers, some members of the current team viewed this simply as a deal that forced them to bid adieu to friends and be reminded that the team is likely destined to struggle over the season's final two months.

"You build relationships and friendships," Braves first baseman Freddie Freemansaid. "It's always tough to see them leave. You wish them the best over there. But this is obviously tough from a personal standpoint."

The Braves' active roster for Thursday night's game against the Phillies included just 11 players who were on the Opening Day roster. Atlanta has accelerated its rebuild mode by trading Kelly Johnson, Juan Uribe, Wood, Johnson and Avilan since the All-Star break.

Veterans Jonny Gomes and A.J. Pierzynski know they could either be traded before Friday's non-waiver Trade Deadline or at some point in August, when clubs can trade for players who have passed through waivers.

"I've only one time been in a position where you didn't have any chance [to compete for a playoff spot], and it stinks," Pierzynski said. "But you have to do what you can and go about it the right way."

Buchanan steps in for Hamels vs. Braves

By Nick Suss / MLB.com | 12:21 AM ET

The Braves have rarely fared well when facing a Cole Hamels-led Phillies team. Luckily for Atlanta, they probably won't have to deal with him much anymore.

Hamels was scheduled to start for the Phillies on Friday, but with a trade to the Rangers all but confirmed, the chances of Hamels -- who has a 3.11 ERA in 225 2/3 innings versus Atlanta -- matching up against the struggling Braves are growing increasingly slim. This comes at an opportune time for an Atlanta offense that has lacked output in recent days. The Braves had scored a grand total of 15 runs in their last nine games, being shut out as many times, twice, as they have won.

Instead of Hamels, this ailing offense draws David Buchanan, who the Phillies plan to call up from Triple-A Lehigh Valley in advance of Friday's game. Buchanan is 0-2 with a 4.02 ERA in three starts lifetime versus the Braves.

Three things to know about this game:

• The Braves will activate Williams Perez from the disabled list to start Friday night. The right-hander went on the DL June 27 with a left foot contusion when a comebacker struck him in the foot. Prior to the injury, Perez made eight starts and 11 appearances for the Braves across May and June, over which he amassed a 2.88 ERA over 50 innings.

• Outfielder Cody Asche wasn't in the lineup for the Phillies on Thursday night and if his track record versus Atlanta is any indicator, he might not play on Friday either. Despite the fact that he has played the Braves more times than any other team, Asche is just 13-for-113 lifetime against Atlanta pitching after pinch-hitting and going 0-for-1 on Thursday. Though two of those 13 hits are home runs, his on-base percentage and slugging percentage are both below .200, combining to create his lowest OPS against any National League opponent.

• The end of July marks the ends of opposite months for the two teams. By record, July will easily go down as the Phillies' best month of the year -- with a win Friday, they have the chance to finish above .500 in a month for the first time in 2015. The Braves, on the other hand, will be glad to see July end. After Thursday's loss, they are five games under .500 this month, tied for their worst month of the year.

Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Braves quotes after Thursday’s loss at Philly

By David O'Brien - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

PHILADELPHIA — Braves quotes from Shelby Miller, Chris Johnson and Fredi Gonzalez after Thursday’s 4-1 loss to the Phillies.

**CHRIS JOHNSON

On Aaron Harang working out of trouble

“Every time. That’s vintage Harang. He goes after guys when nobody’s on, and pitches aggressive in the zone. So you can get some hits off him. Then when he gets guys on, in scoring position, we saw it last year, he buckles down and doesn’t give in, gets out.”

Doesn’t overpower anybody, but…

“He knows how to pitch. If you go up there and try to think with him, you’re probably going to get yourself out. So you just try to stick with your approach and hopefully he misses. When nobody’s on base you’ve got a better chance, but when he gets guys on he does not give in. He hits corners. That’s what he’s done his whole career.”

Was it tough to play at all today, with the mood in the clubhouse after the big trade?

“I don’t think it’s tough to play ever. If it’s tough for you to play up here any day, you shouldn’t be playing here. So I don’t think so, at all.”

**SHELBY MILLER

Seemed like they had some bleeders and bloops, then hit some balls harder later

“Yeah, I mean, granted the guys got on base and stuff, I obviously gave up a lot of hits. But with the runners in scoring position I made two good pitches that were broken-bat singles, three runs scored. You can’t really do nothing but get the ball back and keep going. Other than that, the homer (Domonic Brown) was a bad pitch, a split-finger I’m trying to work on and kind of just left it up. But a couple of mistakes here and there, other than that they really didn’t give away any at-bats, so it was a tough battle the whole time.”

How much did the heat affect you? Fredi mentioned having to change shirts, etc.

“I don’t think it affected me physically at all. Maybe some pitches slipped out of my hand possibly, with some sweat dripping down my hand. That’s probably the most I’ve sweat in a while. It was definitely hot. But I don’t think that was the reason why at all. You play the game in humidity. Atlanta’s hot, here’s hot. You’ve got to get used to that, and there’s no excuses for that.”

On Simmons starting slick double play

“That’s huge. Obviously I get up there and look where I’m at sometimes, getting deep in the game the pitch count’s getting up. To get two outs right there, that’s huge. He’s always looking for ways to get outs. Everybody talks about how much of an athlete he is and all the plays he makes, but he’s smart out there, too. He’s obviously got a lot of knowledge for the game, looking for stuff like that, you’ll see him backdoor it to first looking to get guys out. He’s always aware. I love watching him play, I’m glad he’s on my team.”

**FREDI GONZALEZ

On Harang giving up nine hits in five innings, but only one run

“You know what, you’ve got to give him credit. He never gives in. He’s a guy that knows how to pitch, knows how to hit those corners and take advantage of the hitter’s aggressiveness. We saw him do it for about 30 starts last year (for the Braves) and about three of them (vs. the Braves) this year. We scattered, what, seven or eight hits? Got no runs. Well, one run. Got bases loaded, and he just got out of it.

“They made Shelby work. Lot of foul balls, lot of deep counts, not very many quick outs. But again, he goes out and gives you four runs (allowed) and we didn’t score any runs for him.”

You had bases loaded with none out and Freeman up, chance to blow open game in third

“Yeah, that’s the guy you want (up), but it didn’t happen. I’ll take my chances there every single time in that situation. Give us that situation at least once or twicea game and we’ll knock a couple of runs in. But we didn’t do it tonight.”

On heat/humidity affect on Miller

“He was struggling with the sweat. He was strong, he was just struggling with the sweat. We tried a couple of different uniform tops and shirts, and I think even changed pants. But you know, this is a guy who’s pitched in St. Louis in the middle of summer, and been in Atlanta, so I don’t think that was any factor.”

On some cheap hits getting through against Miller, and some broken-bat hits

“A couple of them did. It was a swinging bunt…but then, they still count. It’s not that middle column that you worry about, it’s that first column. The runs. And they got four of them, and we only got one.”

Did the trade and subdued tone in clubhouse this afternoon carry over into game, in your opinion?

“I don’t think so. You got 12 hits, and a veteran pitcher (Harang) who’s not going to give in. We know that, and we were (still) a little bit aggressive against him.”

Braves skid continues, Miller’s winless streak reaches 13 starts

By David O'Brien - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

PHILADELPHIA — Aaron Harang came into Thursday night’s game lugging a career-worst eight-start losing streak, and the lumbering Phillies veteran had been every bit as bad as his record in that stretch indicated.

Shelby Miller came in with a career-worst 12-start winless streak, and the Braves All-Star had pitched far better than his record in that span would indicate.

One of those streaks continued, and those who’ve followed the Braves and Miller lately can probably guess which, even if you didn’t watch.

Eleven of 28 batters that Miller faced got hits, and the Phillies scored four runs in the fourth through sixth innings of a 4-1 win against the Braves to open a four-game series at Citizens Bank Park. It was the 14th loss in 18 games for the Braves, who’ve scored a total of 11 runs during their current 1-7 slide.

“They really didn’t give away any at-bats, so it was a tough battle the whole time,” Miller (5-8) said of the last-place Phillies, who’ve won 10 of 12 games since the All-Star break and are now seven games behind the Braves in the win column.

Harang (5-11) allowed nine hits but only one run in five innings, after going 0-8 with a 6.94 ERA and .309 opponents’ average in his past eight starts. He came off the disabled list Friday after missing four weeks with plantar fasciitis

“You’ve got to give him credit, he never gives in,” Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez said of Harang, who had a career resurgence with the Braves in 2014. “He’s a guy that knows how to pitch, knows how to hit those corners and take advantage of the hitter’s aggressiveness. We saw him do it for about 30 starts last year and about three (vs. the Braves) this year. We scattered, what, seven or eight hits? Got no runs. Well, one run. Got bases loaded, and he just got out of it.”

The big right-hander is 2-0 with a 0.95 ERA in three starts against the Braves this season, and the Phillies won all three.

“That’s vintage Harang,” Braves third baseman Chris Johnson said of Thursday’s performance. “He goes after guys when nobody’s on, and pitches aggressive in the zone. So you can get some hits off him. Then when he gets guys on, in scoring position — we saw it last year, he buckles down and doesn’t give in.”

For Miller (5-8), an almost inexplicable streak continues unabated. He is 0-7 despite a solid 3.19 ERA in his past 13 starts, the longest drought of his career and the longest by any Braves pitcher since Kenshin Kawakami went 14 starts without a win early in the 2010 season.

The Braves scored one or no runs while he was in 10 of his past 13 starts, and Thursday marked the first time since June 13 that Miller had thrown a pitch while anything other than a zero was under the runs column besides the Braves’ name on the scoreboard.

The Braves got a dozen hits Thursday, the most they’d had in 19 games since totaling 15 hits in a 5-3 win at Milwaukee on July 6. They’ve won just five games since then, and the Braves had batted .216 and totaled 42 runs in their past 17 games before Thursday, averaging fewer than 2.5 runs in that stretch.

They’ve scored three runs or fewer in 14 of their past 17 games.

They staked Miller to a 1-0 lead in the third inning after loading the bases on three consecutive singles to start the inning. The Braves had a chance to blow the game open there, but Harang struck out Freddie Freeman and got Adonis Garcia on a weak comebacker to the mound that yielded a force at the plate for the second out.

Their only run scored when A.J. Pierzynski reached out to poke a two-out infield single fielded by the shortstop at the outfield grass. A 1-0 lead for Miller, who acted as if he didn’t know what to do with it, perhaps because he’d forgotten what it felt like.

The Phillies got two runs in the fourth inning on four consecutive one-out singles, the last one a two-out hit by Carlos Ruiz for a 2-1 lead.

“Granted the guys got on base and stuff, I obviously gave up a lot of hits,” said Miller, who has allowed a career-high 11 hits twice in his past four starts. “But with the runners in scoring position I made two good pitches that were broken-bat singles, three runs scored. You can’t really do nothing but get the ball back and keep going.

“Other than that, the homer (Domonic Brown) was a bad pitch, a split-finger I’m trying to work on and kind of just left it up. But a couple of mistakes here and there, other than that they really didn’t give away any at-bats, so it was a tough battle the whole time.”

Phillies 4, Braves 1

By David O'Brien - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

How the game was won: After the Braves took a 1-0 lead in the third inning, the Phillies scored four in the fourth through sixth innings of a 4-1 win against Shelby Miller at Citizens Bank Park. It was the 14th loss in 18 games for the Braves, who’ve scored 11 runs in their current 1-7 slide. Miller (5-8) allowed 11 hits and four runs in six innings and fell to 0-7 with a 3.19 ERA in his past 13 starts. The Braves scored one or no runs while he was in 10 of those 13 starts. Phillies starter Aaron Harang snapped a career-worst eight-start losing skid by holding the Braves to one run on nine hits in five innings.

Number: 13. Consecutive winless starts for Miller, the longest winless streak by a Braves pitcher since Kenshin Kawakami went 14 starts without a win early in the 2010 season

What’s next: The Braves and Phillies play the second game of a four-game series Friday at 7:05 p.m., with Williams Perez coming off the disabled list to start for Atlanta against David Buchanan (1-5, 7.00 ERA). Both of the originally scheduled starters, left-handers Alex Wood and the Phillies’ Cole Hamels, were traded this week.

Hart says Olivera ‘first building block’ of retooled Braves offense

By David O'Brien - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

PHILADELPHIA – Four months after being outbid for Cuban free agent Hector Olivera by the deep-pockets Dodgers, the Braves will get him at a reduced rate in terms of cash. But the overall price is nonetheless significant.

In a complicated three-team trade with the Dodgers and Marlins, the Braves gave the Dodgers left-handed starter Alex Wood, relievers Jim Johnson and lefty Luis Avilan, and top prospect Jose Peraza. Olivera, 30, is coming to Atlanta from the Dodgers with injured lefty reliever Paco Rodriguez and middling minor league pitcher Zachary Bird.

Since the Braves still lack top-tier hitting prospects in the highest levels of their minor league systen, they opted to acquire what they believe to be an impact hitter by trading for him from a position of strength — pitching.

“As we start to retool this offense, this is the first building block, I think,” Braves president of baseball operations John Hart said. “Look, we just don’t have the upper-level bats that are in the (minor league) system. We’re going to have to be creative in how we bring in some of these guys….

“I love Alex Wood. I do. He’s a young pitcher, left-handed, there’s a lot to like about Alex Wood,” Hart said. “There’s a lot to like about Jose Peraza, We quite frankly didn’t feel, with our people, that Jose was going to be ready to step in and play second base next year; there’s still more development time, if you will. We’ve been happy with what we’ve seen from Jace Peterson.”

Two other key components of the deal for the Braves: They get the Marlins’ competitive-balance Round A pick in next year’s draft (35th overall selection), and sent Bronson Arroyo on the Dodgers, getting out from under part of Arroyo’s $9.5 million salary this season and the $4.5 million buyout of his $11 million option for 2016.

Arroyo, who’s recovering from Tommy John surgery, came from Arizona as an add-on whom the Braves had to take in order to get pitching prospect Touki Toussaint in a June 20 trade.

In the three-team deal finalized Thursday, the Dodgers also got starting pitcher Mat Latos and first baseman Michael Morse from Miami, while the Marlins would get three minor league pitchers (Kevin Guzman, Jeff Brigham, Victor Araujo) from the Dodgers.

Perhaps the most surprising inclusion was Wood, 24, who is 21-20 with a 3.10 ERA in 86 games during parts of three seasons in the majors 337 strikeouts and 108 walks in 368 2/3 innings. That includes a 3.09 ERA in 55 starts.

A second-round pick out of the University of Georgia, Wood was under contractual control for four more seasons.

Johnson has had a strong season – 2.25 ERA, 60.8-percent groundball rate in 48 innings — after signing a one-year, $1.6 million contract with the Braves, serving as a setup man and most recently as closer. The departure of Johnson and Avilan further depletes a bullpen that’s struggled mightily at times.

Peraza turned 21 in April and was regarded as the Braves’ top-rated prospect after the 2014 season. But he was blocked at his original shortstop position by defensive extraordinaire Andrelton Simmons, so the Braves moved Peraza to second base last season and tried him at center field some this year. The rise of 18-year-old shortstop Ozzie Albies and other young infield prospects turned Peraza’s status from nearly untouchable to expendable rather quickly.

Olivera drew considerable interest from at least eight teams after the former Cuban National Team standout defected in September and was declared a free agent in early March. The Dodgers outbid the Giants, Padres, Athletics and Braves, among other teams, giving Olivera a six-year, $62.5 million deal that included a $28 million signing bonus.

The Dodgers are paying his entire signing bonus, and the Braves will owe Olivera about $32 million over the remainder of the contract. He can play left field and every infield position except shortstop, and the Braves believe he’s best suited for third base. He hasn’t played in the majors, but could join their lineup soon after his strained hamstring heals. They hope to have him in rehab games in another week to 10 days.

“You look out onto the market and it’s just tough to find those bats,” Hart said. “We don’t want to give up our draft picks (to sign big-ticket free agents). We were able to get a bat that we feel is affordable to us. The fact that they paid the signing bonus, we feel that this is going to give us the opportunity to go do more things to build the club.”

One prominent international scout said during spring training that Olivera, who is about 6 feet 2 and 220 pounds, could be expected to hit .280 with around 20 home runs in a full major league season. Hart compared him to Travis Fryman, a .274 career hitter who had seven 20-homer seasons in his 13-year career, and also said Olivera reminded him offensively of former Phillies third baseman Scott Rolen.

After a delayed start due to his late signing with the Dodgers, Olivera hit .348 (24-for-69) with five extra-base hits (two home runs), a .392 OBP and .885 OPS in 19 games for three minor league affiliates, including .387 (12-for-31) with a double, a triple and a home run in seven games for Triple-A Oklahoma City. He hasn’t played in 2 ½ weeks.

Some have questioned the wisdom of trading for a 30-year-old with no big-league experience, but Hart said the Braves believe Olivera is in the prime of his career and will contribute for the length of his contract, including when the Braves move into their new ballpark in 2017 and beyond.

“Absolutely,” Hart said. “I think ’16, ’17, ’18, ’19, ’20. We’re getting this guy from age 30 to 34. You never know what there’s going to be, what kind of decline. I was fortunate to have Adrian Beltre over in Texas, and this guy aged very, very well. But I think this guy (Olivera) is still in the prime of his career, and if this guy could go out on the (free-agent) market he’d be looking at at least a five-year deal, and would certainly be a different set of economics.

“Our guys like the bat and feel like this is going to be a good piece for us. Give Freddie (Freeman) some protection in that lineup as we go forward. And I think as we build a lineup, this is a guy that can hit somewhere in the four to six range (in the order) and be productive. It’s a good fit for us. He’s in great shape, he’s got tremendous makeup. Fredi (Gonzalez) spent a lot of time down there (talking with Olivera this winter) and really liked the kid. All of our guys did. He’s a pro’s pro. Good family. This is a guy that’s going to show up. He’s a real professional.”

When the bidding for Olivera heated up in the spring, some teams shied away due to health concerns. A blood disorder kept him out of games for much of two recent seasons, and he’s had some issues with the collateral ligament of his throwing elbow, though Hart said he passed the Braves’ physical and there were no problems with the elbow.

In 10 seasons in Serie Nacional, Cuba’s highest-level league, Olivera had a .323 average with 96 home runs and 433 RBI. He had bests of 17 homers in 60 games in the 2011-2012 season and a .353 average in 2007-2008.

Rodriguez, 24, will miss at least most of the remaining season after surgery in late June to remove bone chips from his pitching elbow. A second-round pick in 2012, he has a 2.53 ERA in 124 appearances over parts of four seasons, with 91 strikeouts and 30 walks in 85 1/3 innings. His career .189 opponents’ average includes .174 by lefties.

Rodriguez is under contractual control through the 2019 season.

With Wood, there has been speculation since the day he was drafted that his unorthodox delivery might make him susceptible to arm injuries. He had Tommy John elbow surgery while still in high school, but hasn’t had a significant injury since. Wood hasn’t been as consistent this season, going 7-6 with a 3.54 ERA in 20 starts, with a reduction in strikeouts (90) and 36 walks in 119 1/3 innings.

Avilan has a 2.77 ERA in 218 appearances over parts of four seasons, including a stellar 1.52 ERA in 75 appearances in his first full season in 2013. He’s been inconsistent at times since then, and had a 3.58 ERA in 50 appearances this season, with better numbers against right-handers (including a .200 opponents’ average) than vs. lefties (.294).

Peraza hit a career-best .339 with a .364 OBP, 33 extra-base hits (11 triples, two homers) and 60 stolen bases in 110 games between high-A and Double-A in 2014. This season, as one of the younger players in the Triple-A International League, he was batting .294 with a modest .318 OBP, 20 extra-base hits (seven triples, three homers) and 26 steals in 96 games for Gwinnett. His OPS is .697, down from .806 last season.

The other pitcher coming to the Braves, Dodgers minor leaguer Bird, is a 6-foot-4 right-hander who was a ninth-round pick in 2012 out of a Murrah High School in Jackson, Miss. He’s 16-25 with a 4.74 ERA in 83 games (71 starts) over four seasons, with a lot of strikeouts (345) and too many walks (184) in 351 innings, all in Single-A and rookie ball.

Perez to take Wood’s spot in Braves rotation; Marksberry called up

By David O'Brien - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

PHILADELPHIA – Williams Perez will come off the disabled list and move into Alex Wood’s spot in the Braves starting rotation Friday against the Phillies.

Wood was dealt to the Dodgers in a three-team, 13-player trade Thursday. Perez (4-0, 2.88 ERA) has been on the DL recovering from a bone bruise sustained when he wqas hi8t by a line drive at Boston six weeks ago.

With left-hander Manny Banuelos on the DL with a bone spur in his elbow, the Braves’ rotation, for now, looks like this: Shelby Miller, who started Thursday against the Phillies, followed by Perez, Matt Wisler on Saturday, Julio Teheran in Sunday’s series final at Philadelphia, and Mike Foltynewicz on Monday in a home-series opener against the Giants.

Callups: After trading away three pitchers Thursday including Wood and relievers Jim Johnson and Luis Avilan, the Braves filled out the roster for Thursday night’s game with three relievers called up from Triple-A: Jake Brigham, Ryan Kelly and left-hander Matt Marksberry, who had his contract purchased and was added to the 40-man roster.

The trio didn’t arrive at Citizens Bank Park until late in Thursday night’s series opener against the Phillies.

It was the first callup for Marksberry, 24, who started the season at high Single-A Carolina. Marksberry had a 2.74 ERA in 34 relief appearances in the minors this season, with 43 strikeouts and 14 walks in 46 innings. He was promoted from high-A to Triple-A Gwinnett, and to the majors after only 11 appearances at Triple-A.

Brigham was optioned back to Gwinnett after the game.

Braves in trading frenzy, yet Chris Johnson remains

By David O'Brien - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

PHILADELPHIA – The Braves traded away five members of their 25-man roster in a one-week span, yet Chris Johnson wasn’t one of them.

The third baseman they’ve tried to trade since last fall remained a Brave as of Thursday night, the team still unable to find a team willing to trade for him and take on a suitable amount of the salary he’s owed over the final two-plus seasons of a three-year, $23.5 million contract extension.

“Yeah, it’s awkward,” said Johnson, who said more than once in recent weeks that he hoped the Braves would be able to trade him before Friday’s non-waiver trade deadline. “When you’re somewhere where people say publicly they’re trying to move you, and tell you they’re trying to move you, it’s difficult. But I’m just going to try to keep working, do better.”

Johnson was in the lineup Thursday for the first time in five days, getting his 19thstart of the season at third base. Even though the Braves traded Juan Uribe a week ago, Johnson hadn’t made a start at third base in the previous five games. Adonis Garcia made four consecutive starts at third base, and Daniel Castro started Wednesday’s game at third base.

Johnson was batting just .233 (31-for-133) with one homer, nine RBIs and a .270 OBP in 51 games before Thursday, including 3-for-22 with no walks and nine strikeouts since the All-Star break. He’s been used primarily against left-handers before the Uribe trade, and still had a .321 average (18-for-56) against lefties.

“It’s one of those points where I haven’t done anything, you know?” Johnson said of not drawing trade interest. “Unproductive. I don’t play too much, and make too much money, I guess.”

Somber mood in Braves clubhouse after big trade

By David O'Brien - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

PHILADELPHIA – Braves pitchers Alex Wood, Luis Avilan and Jim Johnson were already gone, headed off to join their new Dodgers team, by the time the Braves officially announced the 13-player, three-team trade at 4:52 p.m. Thursday. News had spread quickly late Wednesday of the pending deal, and most Braves had a chance to say goodbye Friday to the pitchers who were traded away.

If there was even the slightest chance of the Braves making an unexpected run at a playoff spot after trading away hitters Kelly Johnson and Juan Uribe on Friday, that flicker of a chance was surely snuffed out when they traded one of their best starting pitchers and two of their key relievers to the Dodgers. The Braves also shipped top prospect Jose Peraza to the Dodgers in the deal, while acquiring 30-year-old Cuban infielder Hector Olivera, an injured left-hander reliever (Paco Rodriguez) and a minor league pitcher.

Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman, a franchise cornerstone and one of the few remaining Braves from just a few years ago, said the mood in the clubhouse Friday was noticeably changed in the aftermath of the big trade.

“Obviously it’s kind of down,” Freeman said before Thursday’s series opener against the Phillies. “Three of your 25 guys are gone. You battle with them every day for four months (plus) spring training, and now all of a sudden they’re gone. It obviously tough, but we’ve got to put that behind us now, got to go back out there and get back on the winning side tonight.”

One Braves player seemed surprised and disappointed that the team had gone full-bore into sell mode in the past week, noting that Toronto, in third place in the American League East and seven games out of first place, had made two huge moves this week to acquire Troy Tulowitzki and David Price.

The Braves were in third place in the National League East and eight games out of first place before Thursday, but have been in a free fall of late, batting .216 and scoring 42 runs while going 4-13 in their past 17 games, including just 10 runs total while going 1-6 in their last seven games before Thursday.

Freeman said Wood got the phone call from a Braves official while the pitcher was on the team bus headed to the ballpark from the team hotel in downtown Philadelphia. Wood said goodbye to teammates in the visitor’s clubhouse.

“They kind of knew it was going to happen, they were just waiting for it to become official with all the medical stuff (physicals) going on,” Freeman said. “But it’s definitely tough to see him go. He’s been here for a few years now, and you build those friendships, it’s tough.”

Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez said he spoke with all three pitchers after they were officially notified and before they left Citizens Bank Park. The veteran Jim Johnson, in his first season with the Braves, has been through this stuff before and took it in stride. Wood, a former University of Georgia standout and homegrown Brave, understandably took the news a little harder.

“Wood was a little hurt,” Gonzalez said. “But after we talked with him a little bit, he and Luis seemed to be fine. I think all three of those guys will be assets to the Dodgers organization. To have a chance to go to a pennant race, it’s got to be fun.”

Asked about clubhouse morale and whether he needed to say anything to the team after the trade, Gonzalez said, “I talked to the guys about the energy. We’ve got a lot of guys in that clubhouse right now that bring good energy, good character, and I think we’re going to be OK.”

Freeman is fully cognizant that the Braves are aiming toward the future, particularly with the past couple of deals designed with next season and beyond in mind. That didn’t make it any easier to say goodbye to friends and teammates.

“It’s tough when you see one of your starters traded, and you lose Jason as a closer earlier, now we lose another closer,” he said. “And Avilan’s been a steady, tough reliever for us the last few years. It’s tough to see three of your main guys go, but it’s going to be interesting to see these guys we got.”

Braves questions with Baseball America editor

By Carroll Rogers Walton - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

The Braves have added 20 prospects to their farm system in the past seven months via trade, and with Friday’s non-waiver trading deadline approaching, they figured to add a few more. J.J. Cooper, managing editor at Baseball America, answered 10 questions on subjects ranging from how far the Braves’ farm system has come in a short amount of time to who some of the Braves’ more intriguing additions are. Here are excerpts:

Q: How does the Braves’ farm system compare now to this time a year ago in terms of talent?

A: It is a 180-degree change. It’s still worth noting that what the Braves have done both in the draft and as far as trades (indicates that) they are going for ceiling, and there’s a whole lot of risk involved with that. They’ve gone pitching heavy; pitchers are riskier than trading for position prospects generally. They’ve gone for guys who have injuries in the recent past, guys who have injuries that they’re still recovering from, and they’ve also taken some guys who were prominent prospects who have lost a little bit of their shine. And they’ve already had some reasonably solid success with that.

Q: Who comes to mind?

A: Manny Banuelos is a guy who they felt like they were buying low on; they would not have gotten Manny Banuelos for anything close to what they traded for him if this had been three years ago. Is he going to be an ace? Probably not. But he’s had a very solid season. They’ve already gotten a little bit of payoff for him. Obviously they’re hoping you’re going to see that with Max Fried, which won’t probably really be until next year. They got Tyrell Jenkins to Triple-A.

Q: Which of their trades so far intrigued you the most?

A: It’s hard to imagine anyone is going to do a better job of winning a trade than they did with that trade with the Diamondbacks this year where they got Touki Toussaint (and Bronson Arroyo’s $10.1 million guaranteed salary for Phil Gosselin). Usually it’s pretty easy to see both sides of a trade. … It’s very rare when there’s a trade that the reaction is universal: “Wow how did they do that?” And “Man, I wish we would have done that.” That was pretty innovative. You don’t really see trades where a team is able to essentially add another first-round pick.

Q: What’s different about the Braves’ approach than some other clubs have taken?

A: What the Braves have done is a scouting-heavy approach. At this point every team has an analytics department, but a lot of the prominent guys the Braves traded for were traded for — it would appear — based more on scouting than numbers and analytics because these guys are either

coming off an injury where it’s hard to project what they’re going to be when they come back, or in many cases, they are guys who weren’t as productive recently as maybe you want in a trade. You’re buying on the hope that they’re better than what their recent results have indicated.

Q: Who is an example of that?

A: Mallex Smith needed a second year to really emerge in the Midwest League. The Braves got him, and boom he’s up to Triple-A very quickly, and I think he’s a guy who’s maybe outperformed, if you look truly on analytics. I’m not saying (the Braves) aren’t doing analytics because I know they are, but Mallex Smith is a guy whose tools jump out. He has that speed that really jumps out and some feel to hit.

Q: How is that different than what some other teams are doing?

A: If you look at what the Astros did in their rebuilding job, for example, theirs was more of an analytics-based approach. The Astros said, “Let’s assemble a whole lot of very productive players, and then we’ll figure out which ones step forward.” That doesn’t mean they weren’t looking at tools, too, but if there was a criticism of the Astros before this year it was, “Once you get past Carlos Correia, who are the impact guys?” Now they’ve done a great job developing a Dallas Keuchel, guys like that. They had more guys than they could fit on their 40-man (roster) coming through last offseason. They lost guys in the Rule 5 draft because they were so deep in solid players. I think the Braves are trying to hit more home runs than doubles. We’ll see how that works out, but so far so good.

Q: What’s your take on all the pitching the Braves have accumulated? Is there such a thing as too much pitching?

A: It’s worth noting we’ve had two big trades this week already, (Johnny) Cueto and Tulo (Troy Tulowitzki). Every prospect traded in those is a pitcher. The Blue Jays gave up three pitching prospects to get Tulo, and the Royals gave up three pitching prospects to get Cueto. It is a currency that if they develop, you can say, “We need to fill some position-players holes,” and do that.

Q: So is Touissant, then, the acquisition that intrigues you the most?

A: To me, he and Max Fried, once he comes back, are the highest upside arms they have. If you want to throw (first-round pick) Kolby Allard in that, too, you could. Touki is a long ways away (from the majors), but it is an outstanding arm. We knew that when he was in the high school class a couple years ago. It was funny that the Diamondbacks said, “People like to say he throws 97, 98; we haven’t seen that at all.” And then the first start with the Braves he shows that. He has that kind of arm.

Q: How does he compare to Fried?

A: Even though he’s coming off an injury, in some ways Max Fried is probably a little safer guy. I don’t think he has as much upside as Touki because Touki has exceptional stuff. Fried has very good stuff, but Fried has three pitches that pre-injury he would show you all of them on the right day and with a little bit better control on his best days than Touki has right now. That’s the 1-2 punch. And again, Kolby Allard fits very much into what we’re talking about. If not for the injury Kolby Allard could have easily been the No. 1 high school pitcher in this draft class. Those are three guys who are all pretty high ceiling, and that’s not even counting Ricardo Sanchez.

Q: How does the Braves’ farm system compare to other teams now?

A: If you look at the NL East, the Mets and the Nationals also have impressive farm systems. With the Mets, you really have to say young big-league talent and the farm system because a lot of the Mets guys have come up recently (Steven Matz, Noah Syndergaard.) The Nationals have a little more top-heavy farm system, and the Braves are deeper. But I’d rather have the top end of the Nationals’ system. Lucas Giolito was the best pitching prospect in the minors in our midseason top 50. Trea Turner was a No. 10 prospect for us in the midseason update. If you gave me a choice between depth or top-10 guys, give me top-10s, so I think the Nationals are right there with the Braves still.

Friday’s game: Braves at Phillies

By Carroll Rogers Walton - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Next: at Phillies

Where: Citizens Bank Park, Philadelphia

When: 7:05 p.m.

TV; radio: FSSO; 680, 93.7, 106.7

Probable starting pitchers: Braves RH Williams Perez (4-0, 2.88) vs. TBA

What’s new: Perez is expected to be activated from the disabled list and make his return to the Braves rotation Friday. This will be his first major league start since June 26 in Pittsburgh when he took a liner off his foot. Perez gave up just one earned run over 11 2/3 innings in a three-game rehabilitation stint with Triple-A Gwinnett. Cole Hamels was lined up to start for the Phillies, but the team had a deal in place to sent him to the Rangers for a package of prospects. As of Thursday evening, that trade had not finalized, pending medical exams and the Phillies hadn’t named a

starter for Friday night. Aaron Nola could be moved into that slot or David Buchanan could be called up from the minors. The Braves are going through some roster overhauling of their own and familiar names are doing some shuffling. Nick Markakis batted leadoff over Jace Peterson throughout the series in Baltimore, going 5-for-13 (.385) with a double, a walk and a run scored. But the Braves offense generated just four runs in three games.

ESPN

Latos deal helps Dodgers; jury's still out for Braves and Marlins

Keith Law, ESPN Insider

The complicated three-team deal built around Mat Latos and Hector Olivera looks like a great move for the Los Angeles Dodgers, a mixed bag for the Atlanta Braves, and yet another trade for the Miami Marlins in which the owner can't keep his hands out of the till.

The Dodgers desperately needed another starter, with two of their planned five starters from Opening Day out for the season and no organizational starting pitching depth. Mike Bolsinger has far outstripped expectations and his minor league performances, but he also has been very fortunate to keep the ball in the park as much as he has, and isn't someone the Dodgers would want to roll out in a playoff game. Enter Latos, who has been pitching as well as he did in his two full seasons with the Cincinnati Reds (2013-14, when he had a 3.32 ERA/3.48 FIP over 420 innings and just more than 8 WAR), but has had bad luck with men on base, especially in scoring position, something that is out of line with the rest of his career. He's getting more outs with his fastball, the new splitter has become a very effective second weapon even as his slider has regressed, and his control is as good as it was before injuries took out half his 2014 season. He's a big upgrade in quality and in quantity -- he takes some pressure off the bullpen -- and is probably worth two extra wins to the Dodgers the rest of the way, perhaps more if you compare his production to the current crop of Dodgers fifth starters.

The Dodgers also pick up lefty Alex Wood, who has been excellent over the past two-plus years for Atlanta, reaching the majors just a year after he was drafted, then developing a much-needed third pitch (a curveball) to give him the pitch mix to work as a starter. However, his arm action is long and awkward, and he had Tommy John surgery before he was drafted. He also has seen his velocity and strikeout rate gradually decline over the past two years (although he split time between the rotation and bullpen in his rookie season). Four years of control of even a league-average starter is a valuable asset, and one that helps the Dodgers, who have only two starting-pitching prospects (Julio Urias andJose De Leon) close to the majors, but I worry that Wood may have already peaked. Even so, 10 starts each from Wood and Latos for the rest of the year significantly increases the Dodgers' odds of winning the division, especially with the Giants appearing unlikely to add a significant starter before the deadline.

Jose Peraza, also heading to the Dodgers, was Atlanta's top prospect coming into the season, but has a .318 OBP with little power in Triple-A right now, and most scouts and execs I've talked to feel like his ceiling is lower than expected; he's going to be a quality regular, but probably not an above-average one or a star. I would modify that if the Dodgers put him back at shortstop where he belongs; Atlanta moved him off short under the Frank Wren regime because they hadAndrelton Simmons in the majors, even though at that point Peraza was a good two years away from the big leagues. Peraza is a natural shortstop and became a plus defender at second right away; he's probably a grade 55 (on the 20-80 scouting scale) defender back at short and, with that, doesn't need to do much more than hit an empty .270-280 and steal some bases to be a very good big leaguer.

The Dodgers' haul also includes two relievers, lefty Luis Avilan and right-handerJim Johnson, helping address a weakness in the middle innings, although they're just fine in the ninth with Kenley Jansen and have gotten very good work from Yimi Garcia before him. Mike Morse is just a throw-in, earning $8 million next year but a long way removed from the career year he had in 2011, as he can't play any position at even an average level and doesn't get on base or make much contact against right- or left-handed pitching. Taking on his salary probably helped the Dodgers add the compensatory draft pick that's going to Atlanta and avoid giving up that much to Miami in prospects.

Atlanta's end of the deal makes far less sense to me, unless everything I've heard on Hector Olivera is off base. He's played sparingly in Double-A and Triple-A this year, but has been largely out of action for the last five weeks due to a hamstring injury. He's a below-average athlete with questions around his throwing arm because of possible damage to the UCL in that elbow, although he's played mostly third base this year and will likely do the same for Atlanta. At the plate, he's got fringy bat speed with plus raw power, the type of hitter who could poke 20-25 homers with a mid-.200s batting average if playing every day. He's already 30 years old, and the five years Atlanta acquired take him into the typical decline period for hitters, so this is as good as it gets -- but given how little experience he has in U.S. leagues the variance around that rough projection is even higher than it would be for most players. I just don't see why Atlanta, a team retooling for 2017 and beyond, would give up Peraza and Wood to get a player who's already on the wrong side of his 30th birthday and doesn't appear to be a star.

The Braves did get one of my favorite under-the-radar prospects in right-handerZach Bird, a very athletic player who just turned 21 and has struck out over a man an inning in the hitter-friendly Cal League this year. Bird is typically 90-94 with an above-average curveball and changeup, and his delivery works well, but he was very raw when he signed as a 17-year-old out of high school in 2012 and is still learning to repeat the delivery and has below-average command and control even now. He has mid-rotation starter upside, but the risk of him never getting there is still high. It will be great for him to move to a less hostile environment in the Carolina League.

Atlanta also gets lefty Paco Rodriguez, who has two modes -- effective and injured, with the latter in play at the moment. He'll likely have periods of both modes over the next few years, as he was considered a high-injury risk out of the draft in 2012, with several teams taking him off their draft

boards due to medical concerns, but when he's on the mound he's death to lefties and useful against righties, the type of player Atlanta could flip next July if he's healthy to acquire a longer-term asset.

For Atlanta, therefore, this deal revolves around Olivera. If the Braves are right and he's an above-average or better regular right now, then it's a good trade for them, especially since they'll only have to pay him $32 million over five years. Getting Bird and the pick are positives, but their present value isn't enough to materially alter the balance of the deal right now. If they're too optimistic and/or Olivera's elbow blows out, then they gave up a lot of future value in Wood and Peraza to acquire a player who doesn't do enough to push them toward contention in 2017 when Boondoggle Field opens in Cobb County.

The Marlins get relief prospect Jeff Brigham, who's mostly 94-97 with some sink but lacks plane or secondary stuff, and two other potential low-end relievers in Victor Araujo and Kevin Guzman (currently starting in low-A). This deal was just about clearing salary for them, exactly as you'd expect from a team owned by someone who fleeced the taxpayers of Florida for a stadium that only enriches him and has left the handful of true Marlins fans every bit as bad off as they were with the old ballpark.

Sports Illustrated

Dodgers get stronger but Braves confound in three-team trade

BY CLIFF CORCORAN

Amid a wild week of deals leading up to Friday’s non-waiver trading deadline, theDodgers appear to have addressed all of their needs in a single swap. That trade is a massive, three-team, 13-player deal that finds the Dodgers sending Cuban infielder Hector Olivera and two pitchers to the Braves for lefty starterAlex Wood, relievers Jim Johnson and Luis Avilan, infield prospect Jose Peraza and injured starter Bronson Arroyo. Los Angeles also sent three minor-league pitchers to the Marlins for righty starter Mat Latos and first basemanMichael Morse, effectively a salary dump for Miami, which is sending a competitive balance draft pick to Atlanta and cash considerations to the Dodgers to complete the deal.

To clarify which team gets which players in exchange for what, here’s what the trade looks like for each of the three teams involved:

Dodgers get: Wood, Latos, Johnson, Avilan, Peraza, Arroyo, Morse

Braves get: Olivera, RP Paco Rodriguez, RHP Zachary Bird, draft pick

Marlins get: RHP Kevin Guzman, RHP Jeff Brigham, RHP Victor Araujo

For the Dodgers, who were desperate for upgrades in both their rotation and bullpen, this trade is a godsend. Los Angeles has effectively been without a fifth starter since Carlos Frias—himself a replacement for injured starters Hyun-jin Ryu (shoulder surgery) and Brandon McCarthy(Tommy John surgery)—was placed on the disabled list at the end of June with lower back tightness. Since then, the Dodgers have used reliever Yimi Garcia, two-time Tommy John recipient Brandon Beachy (twice) and rookies Ian Thomas (as a paternity replacement for Zack Greinke) and Zach Lee for a total of five starts. Those four combined to throw just 19 2/3 innings in those starts and posted a 7.78 ERA and 1.78 WHIP.

Frias was only marginally better before hitting the DL (5.66 ERA in 20 2/3 innings over his last four starts) and was lit up in his rehab start for high A Rancho Cucamonga on Sunday, failing to make it out of the first inning. Adding it up, since June 15, L.A. has received nine starts from a pitcher other than Clayton Kershaw, Greinke, Brett Anderson and Mike Bolsinger. None of those nine starts were quality, and the pitchers who made them combined to post a 6.69 ERA and 1.71 WHIP and averaged fewer than 4 2/3 innings pitched per start. The additions of Wood and Latos are thus huge for the Dodgers.

Latos, who will become a free agent after this season, has posted a 2.96 ERA in seven starts since returning from a disabled list stay for knee inflammation in mid June. He has seen some of his lost velocity return in that span, averaging just above 93 mph with his fastball since returning from the DL (compared to just under 92 earlier in the season and throughout his injury-riddled 2014) and hitting 97 on the radar gun for the first time since July 2013 in his June 24 start against the Giants, per BrooksBaseball.net. On the season, his strikeout rate has rebounded to its '12–13 level (8.0 K/9) and his other peripherals have remained constant, resulting in a 3.34 FIP that suggests that his post-DL success is closer to his true level than his 4.48 ERA on the season as a whole (the latter figure was skewed by his disastrous first start of the year, since which he has posted a 3.80 mark in 15 starts).

Wood, meanwhile, is just 24, has four more team-controlled years remaining after this one, won’t be arbitration eligible until after next season and has posted a 3.09 ERA in 54 major league starts. A three-pitch pitcher who mixes a 90-mph sinker with a change and curve, Wood has unusual mechanics that add deception and perceived velocity to his sinker, but those mechanics have led to some concerns about his long-term durability. That, combined with the drop in his strikeout rate this season (8.9 per nine last year, 6.8 this year) may have motivated the Braves to trade him. Still, some of his regression this season has been due to bad luck (.343 BABIP), and with the pitching talent the Dodgers already have in their organization, he needs not be anything more than a mid-rotation arm for Los Angeles.

The additions of Wood and Latos solve the Dodgers' fifth-starter problems and likely push surprising 27-year-old righty Bolsinger to the bullpen, as well as provide sufficient depth to cover the ever-present threat of fragile lefty Brett Anderson suffering a season-ending injury. Johnson and Avilan, meanwhile, add much-needed depth to the bullpen. Johnson, who will be a free agent after the season, has rebounded from his dreadful

2014 to recapture the form that helped him save 101 games for the Orioles in '12 and '13. A low-strikeout ground-baller, he’ll most likely become Kenley Jansen’s primary setup man in L.A. The lefty Avilan, a 26-year-old with three team-controlled years remaining who will hit arbitration for the first time this winter, does not have a pronounced platoon split and profiles as more of a middle relief generalist than a LOOGY, making him the second lefty behind J.P. Howell in the Dodgers’ ‘pen.

To those four pitchers, the Dodgers add arguably the top prospect in this trade, 21-year-old infielder Jose Peraza. A slap-hitting, speed-and-defense middle infielder out of Venezuela, Peraza has hit .303/.344/.388 in five minor-league seasons, including a .294/.318/.379 line in Triple A this year. There’s very little patience or power there, but if he can hit .280 or better, steal 40 to 50 bases (he reached 60 in fewer than 115 games in each of the last two seasons) and provide strong defense at a middle infield position, he’ll be a valuable everyday player for the Dodgers. Indeed, he was rated the Braves’ top prospect in February byBaseball America (Baseball Prospectus ranked him second), a top-100 prospect by both organizations prior to the season and a top-50 prospect by both organizations earlier this month, reaching No. 26 on BA’s midseason list.

Peraza has played second base over the last two seasons because of the presence of Andrelton Simmons at shortstop in Atlanta, but he’s a better defensive shortstop than top Dodgers prospect Corey Seager and could either move over to short to allow Seager to shift to third base or fill the Dodgers' soon-to-be vacant hole at second base next season. In fact, it’s not beyond the pale to imagine that Peraza could be a shortstop solution for the Dodgers right now. He has 427 Triple A bats under his belt and would only have to out-perform Jimmy Rollins’s pathetic .213/.270/.361 line to represent an upgrade for Los Angeles. If he does, the Dodgers will have improved two spots in their rotation, two spots in their bullpen and the shortstop position in a single trade while adding three players with significant team control remaining in Avilan, Wood and Peraza.

In order to reap that bounty, the Dodgers parted with six players and took on roughly $22 million in financial commitments via the money remaining on Latos's, Morse's and Arroyo’s contracts. Morse and Arroyo are nothing more than salary dumps here, as both seem unlikely ever to play for the Dodgers. Arroyo, who is 38, hasn’t pitched since having Tommy John surgery last July, and there’s little to no chance of Los Angeles picking up his $11 million option for next year. Morse, a first baseman and terrible outfielder who offers a righthanded power bat off the bench, has no place on a roster that already has Scott Van Slykeunder team control through 2019. He is owed $8 million for the '16 season but seems likely to be designated for assignment if he’s not traded before Friday’s deadline. Add in the portions of Olivera’s signing bonus the Dodgers had not yet paid but will despite shipping him to the Braves, and Los Angeles will be paying roughly $34.6 million for players that won’t play for them as a result of this deal. Of the six men they parted with, however, only one is likely to be missed.

Olivera, a Cuban defector whom the Dodgers signed in May, is believed to be an impact bat who could reach the majors before the end of this season. He is 30 years old, however, and has played just 13 games above rookie ball in the United States. Olivera has produced in those games, hitting .358/.393/.528 in 56 plate appearances—not a far cry from his .323/.407/.505 career line in ten years in Cuba’s Serie Nacional—but his major league potential is still largely unknown. While he was the total package as a hitter in Cuba, hitting for average and power with patience and significantly more walks than strikeouts, his Cuban numbers weren’t quite as spectacular as those of Jose Abreu or Yoenis Cespedes, both of whom are still in their twenties.

Olivera also comes with some health concerns. He missed Cuba’s 2012–13 season due to thrombosis in his left bicep, and prior to making his American debut, he hadn’t played the infield regularly since the '11–12 season (he spent the '10–11 and '13–14 seasons as a designated hitter, making just six appearances in the field, all at first base). He’s been splitting his time between second and third base in the minors and seems most likely to emerge at the hot corner for Atlanta, but there’s real concern that he might have to move to the left of thedefensive spectrum. Concerns about the condition of the ulnar collateral ligament in his right (throwing) elbow, meanwhile, prompted the Dodgers to include language in his contract that granted them (and now the Braves) a $1 million club option at the end of his deal should he undergo Tommy John surgery at any point during his guaranteed seasons.

Speaking of his contract, Olivera is signed through 2019, giving the Braves five full seasons of control over him. His deal was valued at $62.5 million upon signing, but $28 million of that came in the form of a signing bonus, which the Dodgers will cover entirely. Factor in the roughly $8 million in salary relief resulting from Arroyo’s inclusion in this deal, and the Braves have acquired Olivera’s next five seasons for $24.5 million, an average of $4.9 million a year. That could prove to be a tremendous bargain, but it’s still a gamble, and that’s before one considers the cost of trading Peraza and Wood, for whom the competitive balance pick (currently the 35th overall in next year's draft and likely to fall as free-agent compensation picks pile up in front of it this winter) is unlikely to compensate.

If Olivera doesn’t pan out, this trade will prove to have been a disaster for the Braves. The Dodgers, meanwhile, stand to benefit on multiple fronts, having improved their outlook for this season with the Giants nipping at their heels in the NL West and fans and ownership desperate for the team’s first World Series appearance since 1988, as well as for the future with Wood and Peraza.

As for the five young pitchers they gave up, there’s not much to see there beyond lefty reliever Rodriguez, who had surgery to remove a bone spur from his pitching elbow in June. Rodriguez is just 24, has four team-controlled years remaining and is already an experienced major league reliever with a career 2.53 ERA, but he’s not an irreplaceable arm. As for the minor leaguers, the 21-year-old Bird, who went with Rodriguez and Olivera to the Braves, is likely the best of the bunch, but as a former ninth-round pick with control issues currently sporting a 4.75 ERA in A ball, even his mid-rotation ceiling seems optimistic.

For the Marlins, this is nothing more than a salary dump, clearing a free-agent bust and an impending free agent off the roster along with roughly $14 million off the books in exchange for three negligible minor-league righties. Guzman is a skinny 20-year-old Venezuelan currently posting weak peripherals in A ball. Araujo is a small 22-year-old Dominican reliever with solid peripherals but bad results (5.40 ERA) in Class A. Jeff Brigham is an undersized 23-year-old with a Tommy John surgery in his past who was drafted in the fourth round out of the University of Washington last year and projects as a righthanded specialist at best given the manner in which high A lefties are feasting on his low-three-quarters delivery.

Fangraphs

Braves Dump Risk, Exchange It for Risk

By Jeff Sullivan - July 30, 2015

Update: the Braves are reportedly also sending Bronson Arroyo to the Dodgers, which works out to saving about $8 million. So, that’s a small benefit for Atlanta, which isn’t discussed below.

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Update No. 2: the Dodgers are taking on some of Arroyo’s money, but not all of it. So the Braves are saving less than that $8 million. Glad we could get this straightened out.

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A valuable lesson we all learned yesterday is that a trade isn’t official until it’s officially official. In the case of this trade, it still isn’t totally complete, so, who knows? Something else we’re aware of is that the structure is complicated. As the Braves, Dodgers, and Marlins work through their three-way exchange, this seems like the current picture of the Braves’ side of things:

Get: Hector Olivera Paco Rodriguez Zachary Bird Competitive balance draft pick Lose: Alex Wood Jose Peraza Jim Johnson Luis Avilan Because it isn’t official, it could always fall apart. Alternatively, it could always change its form. Beyond that, even if this does go down as understood, there are plenty of moving parts. Real people, having their lives changed in an instant! A draft pick, just after the first round! So what I’m about to do is over-simplify, but what this is really about, from the Braves’ perspective, is swapping Wood and Peraza for Olivera. The rest of it more or less cancels out, given the cost of relievers at the deadline. The Braves, perhaps, weren’t comfortable with the risk of keeping Wood and Peraza around. They’re more comfortable with the risk of Olivera, who they tried hard to sign only a few months back.

At first glance, this seems like an insufficient return. Peraza’s young, and he entered the season as a top-50 prospect. Baseball America’s midseason update put him at No. 26. That was a ranking between Raul Mondesi and David Dahl, a few slots ahead of Jeff Hoffman. Wood, meanwhile, is a big-league-proven starting pitcher, who’s had some excellent stretches, and who’s going to be cheap for a while. Olivera is 30, and he still doesn’t have 100 professional trips to the plate. He recently spent time on the disabled list, and health questions have long lingered around. If you don’t like the Braves’ side, this is the whole argument. They gave up too much control for an older player who has yet to prove anything. Certainly, the Dodgers are pleased.

But the Braves have their reasons for doing this, and it goes beyond just being fans of Olivera. There’s a sense there was danger in hanging on to Peraza. And the same goes for Wood. If the Braves felt like Peraza and Wood would only diminish in value, then it makes sense to move them now. And if they think Olivera’s about ready, then, sure, he’s 30, but he’s not 35 or 36. It’s not like he’s on the verge of retirement.

Peraza is 21 years old. He’s spent the year at Triple-A, and 21-year-olds in Triple-A are either good prospects or emergency call-ups. That’s the starting point. He’s super fast, and that speed’ll be with him for a while. Peraza makes a lot of contact, and he’s made a smooth transition from shortstop to second base. Problems? He’s still short of ten career homers. And he’s drawn 12 unintentional walks all season. Peraza is a ball-in-play sort, not a disciplined sort, and if he has power, he’s just about never shown it. His offensive ceiling, then, is questionable, as high-level competition could exploit his weaknesses.

If you want to give him a lot of the benefit of the doubt, maybe his hit tool matures into something like Jose Altuve‘s. Maybe he’ll come up and bunt and slap the ball like Dee Gordon. But then he could also become a Tony Womack, a slap-hitting utility player, and that’s hardly a useful player at all. The Braves don’t love Peraza’s offensive skills, and he hasn’t hit well overall this year. He still has that prospect glow, but it doesn’t last forever, when a player isn’t performing. If you think Peraza’s stock is headed downhill, then, going downhill doesn’t go up. This would then be a fine time to deal.

Wood is a little bit similar, in that, even though he’s more proven, 2015 has raised a few questions. Because of the way that Wood throws the ball, people have forever been expecting him to blow up, and though that hasn’t happened, there’s some velocity drop, here. More significantly, Wood’s strikeouts are down, as his contact rate has soared north. Generally speaking, we suck at knowing which pitchers are headed for surgery, but even just on a performance basis, Wood might be declining. Throw in the health questions and, again, you can see why maybe the Braves wanted to relieve themselves of this risk. If they think Wood is getting worse or headed for an operation, then, what good would he be to them?

Enter Olivera. Yeah, he’s 30. Yeah, he has all of 31 plate appearances in Triple-A. There’s a different sort of risk, here. We still don’t have a great idea of what he’ll be as a major leaguer, and if anything he’s moving away from his physical prime. But, Olivera is a hitter. A hitter with power, unlike Peraza. He’s close to being ready to come up, so he can help in short order, and he fills an organizational need what with the decline of Rio Ruiz. And, from 2016 – 2020, Olivera is signed, for $32.5 million. There’s also a cheap option at the end in case Olivera requires elbow surgery. This isalmost a cost-controlled quality hitter. Instead, it’s a cost-controlled potential quality hitter, but if the Braves didn’t believe in him, they wouldn’t have tried so hard to sign him in the first place.

We can take nothing for granted, but if Olivera begins as even just a league-average third baseman, then he stands to be a bargain. Average players cost more than $32.5 million over five years. Moving away from 30 would presumably see Olivera decline, but probably not too sharply. And if Olivera were better than average? Then the value skyrockets. The Braves know that. The risk is that Olivera doesn’t stay healthy, or he just can’t adjust to major-league pitching, so this could end up wasted money, but what if Wood falls apart? What if Peraza doesn’t hit?

The Braves are trading a 24-year-old and a 21-year-old for a 30-year-old, but there’s reason to believe the younger guys are already declining, while the 30-year-old is about ready to help. Follow that argument, and the Braves are being proactive here, moving assets before they lose their value for a bat that they like. This isn’t to say the Braves are unquestionably doing the right thing. Maybe they’re wrong about Wood. Maybe Peraza develops a better hit tool, and he’s a good cheap player for years. Maybe there was more out there to get than Olivera. But then, we already knew the Braves liked Olivera, so you put your faith in their scouting. You do the same thing with regard to the two players going away. Lots of ways to see this going poorly. But the Braves’ reasons are legitimate and justifiable. And now they have something they didn’t have before.

The Augusta Chronicle

Braves: Olivera trade includes risks for both sides

David Lee | Thu, Jul. 30 11:01 PM

This trade is about a lot of things.

It’s more than just a player swap, and it shouldn’t be viewed as players for players. Therefore, let’s do this by breaking down the different components: player talent/risk (rolled into one) and financials.

The Braves received Hector Olivera, Paco Rodriguez, Zach Bird and Miami’s Competitive Balance Pick A, which should fall in the 30s.

The Braves traded Alex Wood, Jose Peraza, Jim Johnson, Luis Avilan and Bronson Arroyo.

PLAYER TALENT/RISK

If I’m choosing between Olivera and Peraza to be in my infield for the next five years based on talent, I’m going with Olivera.

Olivera has a better chance to be an impact bat based on a contact-geared swing that should produce average, on-base ability and consistent gap power with average to above-average home run power. While getting a better idea of Olivera’s talent during Atlanta’s courting in March, the words that kept coming back involved the hands. He has a closed stance with hands that stay inside the ball to work the opposite-field gap. At the same time, he has shown the ability to clear the hips quickly and turn on pitches for home run power based on strong hands. Those hands are also the reason he’s able to get the bat through the zone quickly despite wrap during load. Cubans are sometimes known to load up their swings quite a bit, including pronounced bat wraps, but it’s not a problem for strong hands and quick bats. Olivera should have enough of both.

Olivera will naturally start to slow down as he ages, but at only 30 years old, it shouldn’t start right away. His type of bat has the potential to age well based on the ability to work all fields with hands that stay inside to feed the barrel to the ball. The Braves probably think this, as well, considering their competitive window likely won’t hit until he’s 32 or so. Those who are confused by the Braves adding a 30-year-old to a rebuilding team should understand that hitting 30 isn’t a death sentence, that the Braves aren’t five years away, and adding young, team-controlled hitting is pretty darn difficult these days.

At the same time, Olivera has his risks. While his bat and talent could be the type to age well, there’s always the chance he drops off earlier than expected. This is possible for basically any player who reaches his early 30s. It happens. Heck, there’s a chance he doesn’t even hit enough to play every day. He’s never played a day in the major leagues. Until he establishes himself as a major leaguer, this chance remains. He also has an injury history. He was diagnosed with a blood clot in his left arm in 2012, though it’s been considered a non-issue since he was taken off blood thinners shortly afterward. There were reports of a damaged right elbow during the signing process with the Dodgers, enough that the team included a $1 million option for a seventh year if Olivera’s elbow requires Tommy John surgery. Most recently, he’s been rehabbing a strained hamstring and should return soon.

Peraza ceiling is capable of producing similar value as Olivera’s major league projection, but there are reasons to be hesitant to go there with Peraza. He’s a plus-plus runner with 50-steal ability and a plus defender up the middle, but the bat remains in question. There is little to no authority in the barrel and he often punches at velocity to put the ball in play. He makes a lot of contact, but much of it must find holes. He also has an aggressive approach that becomes overly aggressive in pressure situations, he’s susceptible to spin, and the lack of walks puts enormous

pressure on the hit tool to max itself to carry his offensive value. There’s plenty to like about his hit tool and ability to make consistent contact to all fields, but he’s going to have to reach the tool’s ceiling to have any offensive impact in an everyday role, and that’s a lot of pressure.

The payout for Peraza’s ceiling is pretty high. He could become a Dee Gordon type that hits enough to run circles around a team at the top of the order while providing solid defense. As a team-controlled player, that’s valuable. But, while the writing may not have been on the wall, the Braves saw enough risk here to part with him.

What the Braves got from Wood this season is probably what he is as a major league pitcher. How long he’s able to provide that type of value is uncertain, but that goes for pretty much any pitcher.

Wood regressed from his 2.78 ERA in 2014 to 3.54 in 119.1 innings this year. It’s more in line with his FIP, and Wood’s ability as a pitcher falls around a mid-3 ERA. If he stays healthy and his stuff stays sharp, he might be capable of getting under 3 again in his prime, but he has the stuff of an established mid-rotation arm with occasional flashes of No. 2 ability. His fWAR tends to fall in line with this evaluation, too.

People will fret over Wood’s mechanics, and that goes both ways. On one hand, he shows the ability to repeat them very well considering how many moving parts there are, and it doesn’t affect him most of the time. Heck, he’s an established major league starting pitcher. I’d say he’s doing pretty well considering the mechanics. On the other hand, we’re getting the first real taste of Wood throwing every five days for a full season. The Braves started him early last year, put him in the bullpen in May and June to limit his workload, then started him for the rest of the season. There is no workload relief this time. Wood has noticeably dragged his arm and lost sync in his delivery at times recently, and it has affected his command. Sometimes it’s all there and he throws seven shutout innings like last time out, but other times he’ll labor and lose command.

Did this go into the Braves adding Wood to this trade? I don’t know. But it’s notable when a pitcher with mechanics such as his falls out of sync more often during his first real workload test.

This isn’t meant to excuse adding Wood to the trade. It’s simply observation. Wood is a solid mid-rotation pitcher under the benefit of team control, and that’s valuable. He also comes with risks like Olivera and Peraza. The Dodgers are taking on risks. The Braves are taking on risks.

Johnson got overlooked in this trade, and that part was disappointing. He was seen as a potential trade deadline piece that could bring back something of value, but was instead piled onto the value going to Los Angeles. Perhaps the Braves were unable to get anything worthwhile for him alone, and that would be understandable. It just came as a bit of a surprise considering he has closing experience.

The Braves certainly upgraded their left-handed relief situation by swapping out Avilan for Rodriguez. Avilan wasn’t having a bad year, but he just hasn’t shown the ability to get same-handed outs like he did in 2013 and was expendable. Rodriguez, on the other hand, has been death to left-handed hitters. Like Avilan, he was a shutdown lefty in 2013, but Rodriguez showed a big-time strikeout ability that Avilan doesn’t have. Rodriguez had a decent season in 2014 but didn’t get extended time in the majors, then had surgery to remove loose bodies in his left elbow this June. Assuming he comes back strong, he could be that formidable left-handed reliever the Braves have needed for some time.

I know nothing of Zach Bird and won’t until I see him myself. I must go off other evaluations, and a source sees him as a future reliever based on a thin arsenal and command inconsistencies. It’s probably safe to chalk him up as a 40 guy for middle relief.

FINANCIALS

This is the part that didn’t come up Wednesday night and drew everyone into a Twitter fit (even more than usual), because people assumed it was players for players. This trade is about more than that, and this is where the seemingly light return for Atlanta begins to make a little more sense.

The Dodgers took on Olivera’s entire signing bonus of $28 million. They also took on part of Bronson Arroyo’s remaining contract for this season. If you put all this together, the Dodgers are eating something in the neighborhood of $35 million from the Braves side alone. That doesn’t take into account the Marlins side of the deal that causes the Dodgers to eat even more.

Because of Los Angeles’ unlimited bankroll, the Braves are adding Olivera for what becomes around $5-6 million a year based on the value of dropping Arroyo’s contract. If he’s even just a league-average player, his value easily surpasses the annual dollar figure. If he’s the 20-homer player with average defense that some scouts saw in showcases, his value blows that dollar figure out of the water. If he disappoints some and is more of a role player, the dollar figure is much easier to swallow. This is the definition of team friendly.

Remember that Touki Toussaint trade? The Braves acquired a high-ceiling, yet raw, pitching prospect several years away for basically Arroyo’s contract. Toussaint’s ceiling is a frontline starter, and his realistic role is a No. 4 starter. The payout is big. The Dodgers just took on a chunk of what the Braves paid for Toussaint, meaning the Braves got Toussaint for change. That’s the type of creativity that somewhat helps soften the blow of losing Wood and Peraza, two players the Braves apparently saw enough risk in to trade.

It’s tough to determine the value of a draft pick in a trade at this point. The Braves are showing an aggressiveness toward adding these competitive balance picks, so obviously they feel it’s important enough to acquire. At that point in the draft, prospect grades tend to sit around 45 OFP or so, with the occasional player who falls because of demands. It’s more creative than adding a C-level prospect throw-in, and it adds one more chance to come away with an impact prospect if they develop past their ceiling, no matter how small the chance may be. Also, remember they added Bird, who is close to the average grade you get at this pick.

CONCLUSION

Questioning the trade is understandable. The return seems light considering they gave up a team-controlled starting pitcher and a good prospect. Based on my knowledge of everything and everyone involved, I probably would have balked at the return and asked for a little more, especially when it comes to the prospect (Bird).

I also don’t have the knowledge of Olivera that the Braves do. I do know they absolutely love the guy and wanted him badly. A team that puts so much time and effort into scouting a player and comes away with that much confidence in him is going to pay its share for him. They scouted him extensively prior to the Dodgers signing him, and they simply couldn’t afford to beat the Dodgers. Now, either the Dodgers beat them a second time by getting a sizable return that provides good value now and in the future, or the Braves returned the favor by getting a solid major league regular with an incredibly team-friendly contract for two young pieces that regress. Or it works out for both sides. Or it doesn’t work out for either side. The point is, there are risks here on both ends.

This trade is about more than Wood/Peraza for Olivera, and the rest of it is enough to wiggle the needle. Am I all in on this from a Braves point of view? No. But I’m also not against it. I see both sides, and I’m looking forward to seeing how it shakes out.

CBS Sports

Braves move into Phase Two of their rebuild with Hector Olivera trade

By Mike Axisa | Baseball Writer

At some point very soon, the Braves, Dodgers and Marlins will finalize their massive three-team, 13-player trade. In a nutshell, the Braves are sending Alex Wood, Jim Johnson, Jose Peraza and Bronson Arroyo's salary to the Dodgers for Hector Olivera and two prospects. Well, one prospect and one draft pick. The teams are also swapping a pair of major-league relievers.

Olivera is the key for the Braves. Los Angeles signed the 30-year-old Cuban infielder to a six-year contract worth $65 million earlier this year, though $28 million of that has already been paid in the form of a signing bonus. As far as the Braves are concerned, it's a six-year contract worth $37 million ($6.17 million annually).

For Atlanta, this trade effectively marks the beginning of Phase Two of their rebuild. Phase One was accumulating pitching prospects. Since John Hart joined the front office late last year, the team has traded away big leaguers like Jason Heyward, Justin Upton, Jordan Walden, Wood, Johnson and others for a bevy arms. Here's the list of young pitchers the club has acquired under Hart:

LHP Manny Banuelos RHP Nate Hyatt RHP Mike Foltynewicz LHP Max Fried RHP John Gant RHP Tyrell Jenkins RHP Aaron Kurcz RHP Shelby Miller LHP Ricardo Sanchez RHP Andrew Thurman RHP Touki Toussaint RHP Arodys Vizcaino RHP Robert Whalen RHP Matt Wisler RHP Chris Withrow

That's a lot of young pitching! It comes in all shapes and sizes too. Righties, lefties, guys close to the majors, guys in the low minors, fastball pitchers, command pitchers ... there's something for everyone in there.

Young pitching is the most valuable commodity in the game today because everyone needs it. Have some spare outfielders? Cool, but to trade one you have to find a team that needs an outfielder. Extra third baseman lying around? Have to dig around for a trade partner. But pitching? Everyone needs pitching. The market is not as limited.

Acquiring all of that pitching depth was Phase One of Hart's rebuild. Phase Two is using that pitching to fill other needs on the roster. That pitching depth allowed them to trade Wood as the centerpiece for Olivera. It allows them to move, say Julio Teheran for another bat if they want. They hold all the cards now.

Make no mistake, the Braves are still early in their rebuild. They're 46-55 at the moment and 8 1/2 games out of a postseason spot. It seems the plan is to have a ready-to-contend roster in place for the open of their new ballpark in 2017. Rebuilding is a long process, but the Braves are already in Phase Two of theirs.

The Sports Xchange

Harang ends skid, Braves continue to slide in Phillies’ 4-1 win

By Gordie Jones

PHILADELPHIA — Aaron Harang ended a personal eight-game losing streak in his return from the disabled list as the Philadelphia Phillies beat the Atlanta Braves 4-1 on Thursday night.

Right-fielder Domonic Brown hit his first homer of the season for Philadelphia, which is 10-2 since the All-Star break. The Phillies (39-64) nonetheless have the major leagues’ worst record.

Atlanta, which consummated a three-team, 13-player trade earlier in the day, has lost seven of eight.

The Phillies, meanwhile, have yet to officially announce a widely reported eight-player trade that would send veteran pitcher Cole Hamels to the Texas Rangers.

Harang, out since July 1 with plantar fasciitis of the left foot, went five innings and allowed one run and nine hits, while striking out three and walking one.

Now 5-11 this season, he had not won since beating Pittsburgh on May 14.

Ken Giles, the last of five Philadelphia pitchers, worked the ninth for his second save. Giles is replacing Jonathan Papelbon, traded to Washington on Tuesday, as the team’s closer.

Braves starter Shelby Miller (5-8) dropped his seventh straight, going six innings and allowing four runs and 11 hits, while striking out four and walking one.

The Braves loaded the bases with none out in the third, but first baseman Freddie Freeman struck out and left fielder Adonis Garcia grounded into a forceout at the plate. Catcher A.J. Pierzynski then legged out a single to deep short, driving in the game’s first run.

Philadelphia went on top when catcher Carlos Ruiz blooped a two-run single to center in the fourth.

Phillies’ Ryan Howard made it 3-1 with an RBI single in the fifth.

Brown lined Miller’s first pitch of the sixth, a change-up, into the seats in right field.

It was his first homer in 46 games, his last having come Sept. 16, 2014, at San Diego.

Note: The Braves will activate RHP Williams Perez (foot) from the disabled list to start Friday’s game against the Phillies. A corresponding roster move has yet to be announced.

Braves trade Wood, Peraza to get Cuban hitter

By Guy Curtright

For all the Atlanta Braves’ wheeling and dealing, John Hart hadn’t been able to add a potential impact bat to the team’s reboot.

Now the team thinks it has, although at a heavy player cost.

After losing out to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the bidding for infielder Hector Olivera several months ago, the Braves obtained the former standout as part of a complex three-team deal Thursday that also involved the Miami Marlins and included 13 players.

Atlanta had to give up a package that included starting pitcher Alex Wood, relievers Jim Johnson and Luis Avilan and top prospect Jose Peraza, who had played all season with Class AAA Gwinnett.

The reaction by most Braves fans was understandably not favorable initially.

Olivera, who received a $28 million bonus from the Dodgers, is 30 years old and had played in just 19 minor league games before landing on the disabled list at Class AAA Oklahoma City because of a hamstring strain.

The right-handed hitter, though, was a star during a 10-year career in Cuba and could be the answer for the Braves at either second or third base and as a lineup complement to first baseman Freddie Freeman.

The Braves have control of Olivera for the next five years at a total salary of about $34 million. That would be a bargain if he produces as they hope.

In addition to Olivera, the Braves obtained left-handed reliever Paco Rodriguez, who is currently on the disabled list, and pitching prospect Zach Bird from the Dodgers.

Also coming to Atlanta from Miami is the 34th overall pick in the 2016 draft.

The Dodgers, who got starter Mat Latos and slugger Michael Morse from the Marlins, also had to take on the Bronson Arroyo salary the Braves inherited from Arizona earlier in exchange for highly regarded pitching prospect Touki Toussaint.

Olivera was batting .387 with a .968 OPS in 31 at-bats with Oklahoma City before going on the disabled list and will join the Braves when healthy this season before becoming a key player in the future.

“We were hot and heavy on him and now we got him,” Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez said before Thursday night’s game in Philadelphia.

Wood is just 24 and he had a 3.10 ERA in his first 55 career starts. But the Braves were a lot more confident in their pitching than offense going forward, and Williams Perez will come off the disabled list to take Wood’s spot in the rotation.

Peraza, who is ranked No. 34 in MLB.com’s new list of Top 100 prospects, hit .294 with 26 stolen bases in 96 games with the G-Braves, although it hadn’t been all smooth sailing.

The 21-year-old had just 15 walks and 20 extra-base hits and had committed 19 errors in his 81 games at second base. He also was shaky while getting a look in center field.

Wood, a second-round draft choice in 2012 out of Georgia, was 7-6 with a 3.54 ERA in 20 starts this season, while Johnson, a free agent after the season, took over as the Braves closer when Jason Grilli was lost for the season a couple weeks ago because of a ruptured Achilles.

Avilan gave up an extra-inning walk-off homer against Baltimore in his last appearance for the Braves but had bounced back from an awful 2014 with a 3.58 ERA in 50 games.

Rodriguez, a second-round pick in the 2012 draft by the Dodgers, had a 2.61 ERA in 18 appearances this year before undergoing elbow surgery.

He is expected to be back before the end of the season.

Perez, who had made three rehab starts with Gwinnett after being hit on the foot by a line drive, will be activated to make tonight’s start for the Braves at Philadelphia.

The trade stunned the Braves’ clubhouse.

“Obviously the mood isn’t good right now,” Freeman, bemoaning the loss of three teammates, told reporters.

TRADE BREAKDOWN

The Atlanta Braves continued to wheel and deal on Thursday, taking part in a three-team, 13-player deal.

What the Braves got INF Hector Olivera LHP Paco Rodriguez RHP Zach Bird 34th pick in 2016 draft What the Braves gave up LHP Alex Wood RHP Jim Johnson LHP Luis Avilan RHP Bronson Arroyo 2B Jose Peraza

Associated Press

Brown, Harang lead Phillies past Braves 4-1

By AARON BRACY (Associated Press)

PHILADELPHIA (AP) -- Some time off was good for Aaron Harang.

Domonic Brown homered and Harang snapped his losing streak at eight starts, leading the Philadelphia Phillies to a 4-1 victory over the Atlanta Braves on Thursday night.

Carlos Ruiz had two RBIs and every Phillies starter had at least one hit as they won their 10th game in the 12 since the All-Star break.

Harang (5-11) was making his first start since going on the disabled list on July 2 with plantar fasciitis in his left foot. He allowed one run and nine hits with three strikeouts and one walk in five innings to earn his first victory since May 14.

''All his stuff looked sharp,'' Phillies interim manager Pete Mackanin said. ''He certainly looked like a different guy.''

The Phillies played for the first time since the reported deal that will send ace left-hander Cole Hamels, along with lefty reliever Jake Diekman, to Texas. Details of the trade with the Rangers still were being finalized Thursday night, and Diekman was in uniform in the Phillies bullpen. Hamels' locker remained intact although he wasn't seen in the clubhouse before the game or in the dugout during it.

''I didn't see him,'' Mackanin said. ''He might've been lurking in the shadows somewhere.''

Shelby Miller (5-8) extended his winless streak to 13 starts after giving up four runs and 11 hits in six innings. A.J. Pierzynski had two hits and an RBI for slumping Atlanta, which lost for the 14th time in 18 games while dropping its 11th road game in the last 12.

''I gave up a lot of hits, some not hit that hard, but that happens,'' Miller said. ''I thought I made some good pitches. The homer was a bad pitch.''

Run support continued to be a problem for Miller, who has received just 11 runs over his winless stretch. He entered last in the NL in run support.

''We didn't score many runs for him,'' Atlanta manager Fredi Gonzalez said.

The Braves were playing hours after completing a three-team deal with the Dodgers and Marlins that brought them top Cuban infield prospect Hector Olivera, along with left-handed reliever Paco Rodriguez, minor league right-hander Zach Bird and a first-round pick in the 2016 draft. In exchange, Atlanta gave up left-handed starter Alex Wood and relievers Jim Johnson and Luis Avilan. The Braves also sent the Dodgers injured starter Bronson Arroyo and minor league infield prospect Jose Peraza.

Ken Giles pitched a scoreless ninth for his second save since taking over the closer's role after Philadelphia traded Jonathan Papelbon to the Nationals on Tuesday. Giles hit at least 100 mph on his first three pitches.

Pierzynski's RBI single in the third gave Atlanta a 1-0 lead, but the Braves wasted a chance to score more in the frame in which they loaded the bases with no outs.

Philadelphia took the lead with two runs in the fourth on Ruiz's two-run single. Ruiz was playing in his 1,000th career game.

Ryan Howard's RBI single in the fifth upped the Phillies lead to 3-1, and Brown hit Miller's first pitch in the sixth inning over the wall in right field. It was the first homer of the season for Brown, who last went deep on Sept. 16, 2014.

DIEKMAN DELAYED

Diekman was in an awkward situation of sitting in the bullpen with the knowledge of the impending trade. He was going to be used only in an emergency.

''I have no idea, but just sitting out there, thinking about it, (stunk),'' Diekman said. ''I feel like it would be a good opportunity if it happens.''

SWEATY SITUATION

Miller appeared to be perspiring heavily throughout the game, and his Braves jersey was soaked on a humid evening. But the right-hander didn't use the weather as an excuse.

''It didn't affect me physically,'' he said. ''Maybe a couple of balls slipped out of my hand. It was really hot, but that's not the reason.''

UP NEXT

Braves RHP Williams Perez (4-0, 2.88) takes the hill for Atlanta in the second of the four-game series on Friday night. Perez will be starting for the first time since June 26 after going on the DL with a bone bruise in his left foot. David Buchanan (1-5, 7.00) will be recalled from Triple-A Lehigh Valley to start for the Phillies.

Braves-Phillies Preview

By JUSTIN EINHORN (STATS Senior Editor)

This was scheduled to be Cole Hamels' turn in the Philadelphia Phillies' rotation, but as expected, it's not going to happen.

He's far from the only recently departed veteran being replaced on the field Friday night in Philadelphia with the Atlanta Braves in town continuing a series of two of the NL's biggest sellers before the trade deadline.

More deals could be on the way for these clubs. One of the top names being mentioned is Phillies leadoff hitterBen Revere, who leads the team with a .298 average and 24 steals.

"Anything can happen. One phone call or one trade could happen," Revere told MLB's official website. "But really I'm not thinking about it."

Philadelphia (39-64) owns the majors' worst record despite going 10-2 since the All-Star break and began trading away some major pieces this week, sending Hamels to Texas after shipping closerJonathan Papelbon to Washington.

"They're trying to rebuild the team. We just have to keep going," catcher Carlos Ruiz said. "But definitely it's sad when you're around one of your teammates for a long time and then they have to go away."

Ruiz had two RBIs in his 1,000th career game Thursday, helping the Phillies win the series opener 4-1. Ken Giles got his second save in as many chances since replacing Papelbon.

David Buchanan is taking Hamels' place Friday even though that trade hasn't been finalized. Matt Harrison could eventually join the rotation as part of the package from the Rangers along with four prospects, and reliever Jake Diekman is supposedly headed to Texas despite being in the Phillies' bullpen Thursday.

The Braves (46-56) have a new-look bullpen as well. They traded relievers Jim Johnson and Luis Avilan along with starter Alex Wood to the Los Angeles Dodgers on Thursday in a 13-player deal which involved Miami. Atlanta also gave up top infield prospect Jose Peraza but received highly coveted Cuban infielder Hector Olivera.

"You build relationships and friendships," first baseman Freddie Freeman said. "It's always tough to see them leave. You wish them the best over there. But this is obviously tough from a personal standpoint."

Olivera could soon be batting behind Freeman, the No. 3 hitter who is 3 for 23 following a month-long absence for a bruised wrist. Adonis Garcia, a 30-year-old rookie, was moved into the cleanup spot for the past three games but went 1 for 11 without an RBI.

The Braves also received injured left-hander Paco Rodriguez and minor league pitcher Zachary Bird in Thursday's deal, which came six days after lineup regulars Juan Uribe and Kelly Johnson were traded to the New York Mets for prospects. It has been rumored that A.J. Pierzynski, Cameron Maybin and Jonny Gomes could also be traded by Atlanta, a loser of 11 of 12 on the road and 14 of 18 overall.

Another part of looking toward the future will be seeing Williams Perez (4-0, 2.88) come off the disabled list to make his first start since June 26, when a comebacker resulted in a bruised foot.

The rookie right-hander had pitched very well after getting called up May 6, posting a 2.31 ERA in eight starts after originally coming out of the bullpen. Perez, though, averaged 4.14 walks per nine innings in 11 games and hit six batters. He showed better control during three rehab starts for Triple-A Gwinnett, walking one and striking out 15 in 11 2-3 innings as he allowed one earned run.

Buchanan (1-5, 7.00 ERA) is being recalled after a seven-inning victory for Triple-A Lehigh Valley on Saturday. He was sent down five days earlier, just moments after getting his lone win of 2015 - allowing three runs in 6 1-3 innings of a 5-3 victory over Tampa Bay.

Philadelphia's Domonic Brown hit his first homer of the season Thursday and is batting .429 in his last eight games.

Dodgers bolster pitching in huge deal with Braves, Marlins

By PAUL NEWBERRY (AP Sports Writer)

ATLANTA (AP) -- The first-place Los Angeles Dodgers bolstered their pitching staff on the eve of the trade deadline, completing a 13-player deal with the Atlanta Braves and Miami Marlins that sent two starters and two relievers to the NL West leaders on Thursday.

Clinging to a half-game lead over San Francisco, the Dodgers acquired right-hander Mat Latos from the Marlins and left-hander Alex Wood from the Braves, two pitchers who can move right into the rotation behind aces Clayton Kershaw and Zack Greinke. Also, Los Angeles obtained relievers Jim Johnson and Luis Avilan from Atlanta, adding needed depth to the bullpen.

''To sit here having addressed the biggest areas of need for us in terms of rotation and bullpen, while adding future pieces and preserving the top guys in our farm system, that's a really good outcome,'' said Andrew Friedman, the Dodgers' president of baseball operations. ''Not only for what it does for the 2015 team, but the position it puts us in for the winter and next season and beyond.''

The rebuilding Braves kept up their massive overhaul, also surrendering top infield prospect Jose Peraza to the Dodgers largely to land 30-year-old Cuban defector Hector Olivera, an infielder who has impressed in the minors since signing a $62.5 million, six-year deal with Los Angeles this year.

As for the Marlins, it was another familiar salary dump. Out of contention in the NL East, Miami rid itself of Latos and first baseman Michael Morse for three minor leaguers. Morse didn't last long with the Dodgers, who designated him for assignment shortly after the trade.

The deals worked like this:

-The Dodgers got Wood (7-6, 3.54 ERA), Johnson (2-3, 2.25, nine saves), Avilan (2-4, 3.58), Peraza (.294 with 26 stolen bases for Triple-A Gwinnett) and pitcher Bronson Arroyo from the Braves, along with Latos (4-7, 4.48), Morse (.214, four homers, 12 RBIs) and cash considerations from the Marlins. Arroyo is coming back from Tommy John surgery and hasn't pitched this season, his inclusion in the deal mainly a financial benefit to the Braves.

-Atlanta received Olivera, who is hitting a combined .348 with two homers and seven RBIs in 19 games at three different levels of the Dodgers' farm system this season, along with injured left-hander Paco Rodriguez and minor leaguer Zachary Bird, a right-handed pitcher. The Braves also got a draft pick from the Marlins.

-Miami acquired minor league right-handers Kevin Guzman, Jeff Brigham and Victor Araujo from the Dodgers, none of whom has pitched above Class A.

While the Dodgers spent lavishly to land Olivera, they decided the organization has enough depth at second base to make the deal.

''It's not that we thought he was expendable,'' Friedman said. ''This lined up with something that we felt like addressed some current needs for us.''

To clear room in the rotation, Mike Bolsinger will be dropped despite going 5-3 with a 2.83 ERA in 16 starts.

The deadline for making trades without waivers is 4 p.m. EDT Friday. The Dodgers may not be done.

''I don't want to talk about the deadline in the past tense,'' Friedman said.

Braves general manager John Hart kept up its efforts to rebuild the team for the long term, with an eye toward the move to a new suburban stadium in 2017. The Braves were eager to sign Olivera after he defected and feel he can be a key offensive player for years to come - even though he's yet to play in the big leagues and his age makes him an unorthodox prospect.

They jumped at the chance to trade for him even though it cost them the 24-year-old Wood, who isn't even eligible for arbitration until 2017, and one of their top prospects in Peraza.

''We really tried to sign the guy and the Dodgers came in and blew us out of the water financially,'' Hart said before a game at Philadelphia. ''We like the player, we like the bat, we like the makeup. This is a guy we felt was major league ready and can come in and hit somewhere in the middle of the order.''

Olivera could play second base, third base or even left field in Atlanta, but Braves are more concerned with beefing up their anemic offense. Also, the Dodgers will be responsible for the remaining $16 million due as part of his $28 million signing bonus.

But Olivera has battled right elbow problems - leading to a clause in his contract which tacks on another year at just $1 million if he has Tommy John surgery at any time during the next six years. He currently is sidelined by a left hamstring injury.

That wasn't enough to dissuade Hart.

''Financially, it's just tough to find those bats,'' he said. ''We were able to get a bat we feel is affordable for us because of the fact they paid the signing bonus. We feel this is going to give us the opportunity to do more things to build the club.''

The Marlins dumped two big contracts on the Dodgers, whose record luxury-tax payroll climbed to $297 million. That would lead to a $43 million assessment at the end of the year under baseball's luxury tax.

Latos is making $9.4 million in the final year of his contact, while Morse is getting $7.5 million this year and is owed another $8.5 million next season.

Morse wasn't the only player dumped by Los Angeles after the trade. Outfielder Chris Heisey and right-handers Brandon Beachy and Chin-Hui Tsao also were designated for assignment.

The Marlins had hoped to contend in the NL East with Latos and Morse, part of an offseason overhaul that included the signing of Giancarlo Stanton to a $325 million, 13-year deal.

That plan has been scuttled. After a 1-0 loss to first-place Washington on Thursday, Miami dropped to 13 games behind the Nationals.

''When I have to sit here and say we've made a trade and we haven't added (immediate help), it means something has not gone right,'' Marlins President Michael Hill said. ''We're 18 games under .500 and not performing the way we felt like this team was capable of performing.''