Jacob deGrom’s decision to stay put at the deadline may have spared the Braves from a trade that could have turned sour fast.
Ken Rosenthal reported that Atlanta’s interest in deGrom had reached the point where a deal was essentially lined up, with only deGrom’s approval needed because of his full no-trade clause. Rosenthal wrote, “After that story appeared, two executives said a trade almost certainly was in place,” and added, “The execs, granted anonymity for their candor, pointed out that teams do not approach players about waiving no-trade clauses so close to the deadline unless something is done.”
That was a tough pill for the Braves to swallow, especially given how long they have chased a frontline starter to pair with Chris Sale at the top of the rotation. Alex Anthopoulos has kept working that problem through multiple offseasons and deadlines, but the right match never came together until deGrom - and then the pitcher chose to remain with a club that is likely headed for a missed postseason.
Still, there’s a case that deGrom may have done Atlanta a favor.
In just his second start since the deadline, he left after two innings because of right tricep fatigue. The severity of the issue is not known, but deGrom’s injury history is already one of the longest in the sport, and at 38, the margin for error is shrinking.
The rest of his season is now very much in question. And if Atlanta had actually completed the deal, the alternate version is easy to picture: the Braves send out prospects, get only a few starts, and then watch deGrom break down before October even gets here. That would have landed harder than the frustration of him turning down the move in the first place.
The money only adds to the concern. Atlanta would have been responsible for $37 million next season too, a huge piece of payroll tied to a 39-year-old pitcher coming off another arm issue. For a Braves organization that has long said premium starting pitching is a luxury it can’t easily afford, that is exactly the kind of scenario Anthopoulos has spent years trying to avoid.
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