The Atlanta Braves added some depth to their bullpen Monday, when they acquired left-handed pitcher Brian Matusz from the Baltimore Orioles in exchange for minor league pitchers Brandon Barker and Trevor Belicek, per Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com.
Kubatko noted the Braves also received the Orioles’ competitive-balance draft pick (No. 76 overall).
MLB Roster Moves confirmed the news.
While the 12-31 Braves could use the help on the field, Mark Bowman of MLB.com reported they are expected to designate Matusz for assignment. "So they essentially took his remaining salary ($3.9 million) to gain the 76th pick,” he noted.
Jon Heyman of MLB Network confirmed the Braves did designate the pitcher for assignment.
Atlanta is in clear rebuilding mode after a disappointing start to the season, and Bowman pointed out it has five of the first 80 picks in the draft (Nos. 3, 40, 44, 76 and 80). Even if it doesn’t benefit from those selections for a couple of years, that type of asset stockpiling should help it return to a competitive level in the National League East in the future.
As for Matusz, he has been a disappointment this season in limited action. He sports an ugly 12.00 ERA and 3.00 WHIP in seven appearances and has allowed 11 hits, three of which were home runs, in six innings of work.
The good news for the Braves or any team that eventually picks him up is the fact that it's a small sample size, and Matusz’s recent track suggests he will bounce back:
Despite his success over the past three seasons, the southpaw did finish with an ERA of 4.30 or higher in his first four seasons, including his 10.69 mark in 2011. However, he was a starter during those four campaigns and has been more effective out of the bullpen.
The Braves' shaky bullpen could use the boost Matusz may be able to provide, as Atlanta ranks 27th in the league in bullpen ERA entering play Monday, per ESPN.com.
Matusz is 29 years old and off to a slow start, so Baltimore likely had an eye on the future with Monday’s move.
“So essentially, [the] Orioles sold Matusz's contract and the 76th overall pick in 2016 to the Braves for two minor league pitchers with upside,” Dan Connolly of BaltimoreBaseball.com opined.
While Barker and Belicek both have upside, neither ranked in the top 30 in Atlanta’s prospect system at the start of the season, according to MLB.com. According to MiLB.com, Barker has an impressive 2.00 ERA in 45 innings at the Double-A level this season, while Belicek boasts a 2.22 mark in 28.1 innings at Double-A and Single-A.
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