The Atlanta Braves endless season of trades continues
By Wayne Cavadi
I’m just going to go ahead and say it. I love John Hart and what he has done to this Atlanta Braves team.
#Braves acquire RHP John Gant and RHP Rob Whalen from Mets in exchange for Kelly Johnson, Juan Uribe and cash considerations.
— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) July 25, 2015
A friend of mine, a Braves fan, said to me last night after the trade, “Well, I guess the Braves are cashing it in.” He was right, except he was four months late.
John Hart is rebuilding this team for the future, and quite honestly, the Braves cashed it in on Opening Night Eve when they traded away their best player. The fact that the Braves overachieved the first few months didn’t change his plan.
More from MLB Prospects
- Is Arizona Diamondbacks prospect Ivan Melendez the next Pete Alonso?
- Los Angeles Dodgers prospect talk: Catching up with Hunter Feduccia
- MLBPA secures major victory for Minor League Baseball players
- Phillies: Breaking down the prospects fighting for an Opening Day spot
- What the XFL can learn from minor league baseball
The Braves are 45-51 and technically, six and a half games out of the wild card slot. But the Braves have been trending downward for well over a month, in fact they are 3-7 in their last ten. The Mets and the Nationals are surely going to improve their teams in the next few days, why should the Braves try to compete with that?
Instead, Hart took a 33-year old Kelly Johnson and a 36-year old Juan Uribe — both of whom are free agents at season’s end — and got something for them.
Did the Braves score elite prospects? By no means, but let’s be honest, people. The Mets were in desperate need for some bats, and the ones the Braves provided weren’t going to land Thor. The fact that he got something for pretty much nothing in his long term plan is a win.
Whalen is the 21-year old righty who was drafted in the 12th round of the 2012 draft. While his numbers have been impressive thus far landing him as a Top 20 prospect in the Mets system, Whalen has yet to hit 100 innings in any season he has pitched.
Whalen was very impressive last season in Savannah over 10 starts. He went 9-1 with a 2.01 ERA and a 1.01 WHIP. Opponents batted a mere .192 against him, while he struck out 53 and walked just 19.
More from Call to the Pen
- Philadelphia Phillies, ready for a stretch run, bomb St. Louis Cardinals
- Philadelphia Phillies: The 4 players on the franchise’s Mount Rushmore
- Boston Red Sox fans should be upset over Mookie Betts’ comment
- Analyzing the Boston Red Sox trade for Dave Henderson and Spike Owen
- 2023 MLB postseason likely to have a strange look without Yankees, Red Sox, Cardinals
This season, behind his five pitch arsenal highlighted by a low-90s rising fastball and high-80s sinker, Whalen is on pace to hit that 100 inning mark (currently sitting at 83). He has gone 4-5 with a 3.36 ERA in High-A, but has not been as untouchable as he was in 2014. Opponents are batting .231 against him, while he has walked quite a bit more (34) while striking out less (61) than he did across two levels last year.
Still, Whalen could have a higher ceiling than Gant. While Gant is most likely destined for the bullpen, the verdict on Whalen is still out. He could quite possibly transform into a Major League rotation ready arm.
Gant, a 22-year old Georgia native, was selected in the 21st round of the 2011 draft. While the Mets have had a highly coveted farm system for a few years, Gant’s name was never really part of it. That being said, he comes to the Braves as a project but could one day be a serviceable part of the bullpen.
Gant has been a starter for his five year Minor League career. He had a breakout 2014 for the Savannah Sand Gnats in the South Atlantic League going 11-5, posting a 2.56 ERA, a 1.20 WHIP with two complete game shutouts and 114 strikeouts in 123 innings. His performance in 2014 went so well that he jumped High-A altogether and headed to Binghamton in 2015.
It wasn’t pretty. Gant was rocked in seven starts. He allowed 19 runs over those seven starts, with opponents hitting him at a .300 lick. His control was shaky at best, issuing at least two walks in every start, while registering four walks on three occasions. Gant headed down to High-A at the end of May.
He found his groove again at the lower level, even earning a SAL Pitcher of the Week Award. After consecutive shutout performances, in which he went a combined 15 innings while striking out 15 and walking a mere three batters, he headed back to Double-A yet again. The results have been better than his first stint, but still leave a bit to be desired.
According to Nick Melotte, the young righty possesses a four pitch arsenal. His power pitches are a mid-90s fastball and a two seamer that hits in the upper 80s with a bit of sink. His breaking stuff consists of a split finger change and a curve. Whether or not he can develop consistency with his pitches is yet to be seen.
The Braves new management loves young pitching. The Mets needed consistent veteran bats for a struggling offense and have more quality young arms than perhaps anyone in baseball. Both teams benefitted greatly from this trade. While the Mets should see immediate results, the Braves future continues to look bright.