Soon after Ronald Acuna Jr. won the National League MVP award, the Atlanta Braves made more headlines and we aren’t talking about the 2025 All-Star Game.
On Thursday night, the Braves agreed to a trade in which they dealt pitcher Michael Soroka, infielder Nicky Lopez, pitcher Jared Shuster, infielder Braden Shewmake and minor-league pitcher Riley Gowens to the Chicago White Sox for left-handed reliever Aaron Bummer. The Braves acquired a bullpen piece while trading players who probably weren’t going to play large roles for them next season and beyond.
At the general managers’ meetings last week, Braves GM Alex Anthopoulos said this, in part, when asked if he’d like to add to his bullpen, even after re-signing Pierce Johnson and Joe Jiménez: “Right now, I wouldn’t rule anything out, just because there’s a lot of ways to make your team better. And if the right deal is a reliever or a position player or a starter, we’ll be open to anything.”
Since debuting in 2017 for the White Sox, Bummer has a 3.84 ERA over 272 innings. In 2023, he posted a 6.79 ERA over 61 relief appearances.
Bummer will make $5.5 million in 2024, and has club options for 2025 ($7.25 million) and 2026 ($7.5 million) on his contract.
The Braves have 37 players on their 40-man roster, which leaves room for future additions this winter.