In exchange, the A's received an absolute haul, getting four prospects from the Braves: OF Cristian Pache, C Shea Langeliers, SP Ryan Cusick, and SP Joey Estes.
But it’s not all about this year’s payroll, it’s also about building the next long-term core for 2024 and beyond, and the only ways to get the necessary top prospects are to draft them yourself or trade for them. You don’t need to squint to see the value in this prospect package, it reaches out and slaps you in the face. But hopefully soon we’ll be falling in love with our new players, while they lead the next good A’s team to glory and make all this perpetual heartbreak worth it. All we can say for now is they got the size and type of return that they needed to demand. Of course, Olson himself was drafted by the A’s a decade ago, which makes it that much tougher to see him go. Together the group offers a combination of impact potential and also a relatively short timetable, such that we don’t need to wait several years to see payoff. If you’re going to trade one of the faces of the franchise, then you’d better get an enormous return, and at least the A’s did that. In exchange for all that, the Braves get Olson for the next two seasons. Those two departures cut around $21 million off their projected payroll, which was certainly one of the team’s goals this offseason, but more importantly it began the process of restocking impact talent to form the next winning core. He’s another great defensive player, but at the catcher position, with an elite arm and praise for his ability to work with pitchers. Pache was the Braves top prospect according to MLB Pipeline, and their third-best per Baseball America, and those two sources ranked him No. 38 and No. 84 nationally. This is Oakland’s second star trade since the MLB lockout ended four days ago, and Olson represented their biggest among many major trade chips this winter.
Olson, who turns 28 later this month, has two years of team control remaining, and was considered one of the top position players expected to be available on ...
Langeliers, 24, was the Braves’ first round pick out of Baylor in 2019, selected 9th overall. Meanwhile, it appears that Freddie Freeman, the Braves’ homegrown star first baseman who suffered through the lean years before becoming one of the faces of their championship team, will be heading elsewhere. Pache, 23, is the Braves’ version of Leody Taveras, an elite defensive center fielder who has not been able to hit at the upper levels.
Atlanta appears ready to move on from free agent Freddie Freeman, acquiring Matt Olson from Oakland for four minor league prospects.
However, he became a free agent at the end of the season. He hit .271 with 39 home runs and 111 RBI for the A's, while finishing eighth in the AL MVP voting. The acquisition of Olson almost certainly takes the Braves out of the bidding for Freeman's services.
The New York Yankees are shopping for a first baseman, and have been linked to Freddie Freeman, Anthony Rizzo and Matt Olson.
Trading for Olson is one of three main options for Cashman to consider. Please consider supporting us with a subscription. Exploring high-end and mid-level bats (OF, 1B) as well as bullpen help, with preference for multi-year control. And that’s not so bad.” According to Spotrac, Olson is under team control through 2023. Deep farm system (No. 8 in @keithlaw’s rankings), as well as some financial flexibility.
Jeff Passan reported Monday afternoon that the Oakland Athletics were sending Matt Olson to the Atlanta Braves. The Braves' deal for the A's first baseman ...
Freddie Freeman has been the cornerstone of the Braves for 12 seasons since his debut in 2012. - How Mike Trout Will Join the Phillies - Report: Phillies Interested in Matt Chapman
NORTH PORT, Fla. -- Matt Olson is returning home to replace Freddie Freeman as the Braves' first baseman. Atlanta acquired Olson from the A's in exchange ...
But Olson has the capability to also eventually become a beloved figure within his hometown. Estes posted a 2.91 ERA and recorded 127 strikeouts while issuing 29 walks in 99 innings for the same Augusta club. But his offensive struggles at both the MLB and Triple-A levels lessened his value. The Baylor University product was taken with the ninth overall pick in the 2019 MLB Draft, and he ranks as baseball’s No. 68 prospect, per MLB Pipeline. The Braves made a five-year, $135 million offer to Freeman last summer and were willing to slightly increase the dollars this offseason. He’s one of the elite players in the game.” “With where we are as a club right now coming off the World Series, I think we still feel good about a very competitive, contending club,” Anthopoulos said. The first baseman is represented by B.B. Abbott, whose talented stable of players has continued to grow since it once included both Chipper Jones and Brian McCann. He produced a 37-homer pace during the COVID-shortened 2020 season. Olson is arbitration-eligible these next two seasons and would be eligible for free agency after the 2023 season. In the soon-to-be-updated club prospect rankings from MLB Pipeline, Langeliers was poised to rank No. 1 on Atlanta’s top 30, with Pache at No. 3. Olson fits that description, and he now has a chance to showcase his great talents back home.
The Braves have acquired Matt Olson from the A's, sources told ESPN's Jeff Passan. The move likely ends the tenure of free-agent first baseman Freddie ...
He won the NL MVP Award in 2020 and finished in the top 10 of the balloting five other times, in addition to claiming three Silver Slugger Awards and a Gold Glove for his defensive work. "I just found out that I was traded to the A's. I know that's the way this business works, but I want Braves fans to know that I will be eternally grateful to him wherever he goes. A stellar defensive center fielder, the 23-year-old Pache has struggled to hit in the majors, batting .111 in 22 games last season. Pache, who has become a close friend of Atlanta star Ronald Acuña Jr., is another loss likely to shake the Braves' clubhouse. But Freeman's importance to the organization goes beyond his impressive stats. He hit 39 homers and drove in 111 runs last season, finishing eighth in AL MVP voting. "Obviously, I know Atlanta," Olson said. Atlanta manager Brian Snitker was speaking to reporters when ESPN broke the news. Freeman was the 2020 NL MVP and a five-time All-Star over 12 seasons with Atlanta, including as a veteran leader on last year's championship team. He declined repeatedly to discuss his old one. Olson, 27, is a two-time Gold Glove winner with a .252 career average, 142 homers and an .859 OPS over six seasons. He didn't sign before rosters froze Dec. 2 as part of a labor lockout that stretched 99 days.
The A's will receive outfielder Cristian Pache, catcher Shea Langeliers and pitchers Ryan Cusick and Joey Estes in exchange for Olson. Twenty-three-year-old ...
Catcher Langeliers, 24, left Baylor as the ninth overall pick in the 2019 MLB amateur draft. Estes, 20, is a former 16th round draft pick impressed with Low-A Augusta in 2021. Olson, 27, has a .252 career average, 142 homers and an .859 OPS over six seasons.
1:20pm: The Athletics have announced the trade of Olson to the Braves in exchange for Pache, Langeliers, Estes and Cusick. The deal is official.
Olson will have major shoes to fill at Truist Park, but so long as he carries on at something near the .254/.348/.515 pace he’s tallied over his past 564 Major League games, the Braves will be in good hands. This is our lot in Oakland until it’s not.” Those foreboding words have already manifested in the trade of two popular and productive A’s stars, and there’s little sense expecting that Oakland will put a foot on the brakes now. “This is the cycle for the A’s,” Forst said back in early November when addressing reports of a likely payroll reduction. As for Cusick and Estes, both are well regarded in their own regard, even if they haven’t received the type of national attention that Pache and Langeliers have. As for the 20-year-old Estes, he was the Braves’ 16th-round selection in 2019 but has quickly elevated his profile. Sean Murphy is the incumbent option there and had a fine season in ’21, but Langeliers was the No. 9 overall pick in 2019 and is fresh off a .256/.339/.494 showing between Double-A and a brief stop in Triple-A. Baseball America ranked Langeliers 54th among all prospects, calling him an excellent defender with a “cannon” arm and above-average power. That’s not to say he couldn’t develop into a solid big leaguer at the plate, of course, but much of his prospect allure has come from the fact that he’s a plus runner who received 80 grades for his defensive upside in the outfield. While periodic sell-offs of this nature have become second nature for Oakland diehards, the current core is one of the more talented and recognizable groups in recent memory. That’s due both to a poor showing at the plate in the big leagues and a fairly pedestrian output in Triple-A Gwinnett. Pache received just 68 big league plate appearances in ’21 and batted .111/.152/.206, though it’s tough to glean much of anything from such a small sample. As is the case with Anthopoulos, the acquisition of Olson will be a bittersweet one for many Braves fans. As far as replacements for Freeman go, it’s tough to dream up a better option than the Atlanta-born Olson, however. The Braves announced Monday that they’ve acquired All-Star first baseman Matt Olson from the Athletics in exchange for a hefty package of minor league talent: center fielder Cristian Pache, catcher Shea Langeliers and right-handers Ryan Cusick and Joey Estes. While some Atlanta fans may hold out hope that the implementation of the universal designated hitter leaves open the possibility for both Olson and Freeman to coexist on the same roster, Braves president of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos implied otherwise when discussing the trade with reporters.
The Braves acquired first baseman Matt Olson from the Athletics for outfielder Cristian Pache, catcher Shea Langeliers, and righties Ryan Cusick and Joey ...
The Braves reportedly traded outfielder Cristian Pache, catcher Shea Langeliers, starting pitcher Ryan Cusick and starting pitcher Joey Estes to land Olson.
The Braves reportedly traded outfielder Cristian Pache, catcher Shea Langeliers, starting pitcher Ryan Cusick and starting pitcher Joey Estes to land Olson. Last season, Olson batted .271 with 39 home runs and a .911 OPS. He was an All-Star and finished eighth in the AL MVP voting. According to ESPN’s Jeff Passan, the Atlanta Braves have acquired Matt Olson from the Oakland Athletics.
The Braves have completed a trade with the Oakland Athletics that will send star first baseman Matt Olson to Atlanta for four prospects: outfielder Cristian ...
According to Baseball America, the A's netted Atlanta's No. 2 (Langeliers), No. 3 (Pache), No. 9 (Cusick), and No. 14 (Estes) prospects. He has one of the strongest arms in the minors, and he's good enough at the other aspects of defense to profile as an above-average mitt. The Olson trade creates a path for Freeman to sign with his hometown team. Letting a franchise icon leave is never easy, but from a cold-blooded business perspective, the Braves replaced Freeman with a comparable player who is several years younger and cheaper. Righty Chris Bassitt was traded to the Mets over the weekend and it's likely third baseman Matt Chapman and starters Sean Manaea and Frankie Montas will be on the move next. Freddie Freeman's time with the Atlanta Braves may be over.
The Atlanta Braves are reportedly in agreement to trade for first baseman Matt Olson, according to a report from ESPN.
In a crazy turn of events, the Atlanta Braves have made a massive trade for first baseman Matt Olson from the Oakland Athletics.
I’m sure AA still has more moves up his sleeve, but for now, it feels like we’ve seen Freddie Freeman in a Braves uniform for the last time. What Braves Gave up for Matt Olson In a crazy turn of events, the Atlanta Braves have made a massive trade for first baseman Matt Olson from the Oakland Athletics.
The Braves on Monday acquired first baseman Matt Olson from the Oakland Athletics for outfielder Cristian Pache, catcher Shea Langeliers, and righties.
The Atlanta Braves have found their first baseman for the 2022 season after reportedly acquiring Matt Olson, according to ESPN's.
The NL East figures to be highly competitive, especially at the top between three teams. No player on the team is signed to a guaranteed contract after next season. Since his first full season in 2018, Olson ranks fourth among all first baseman with 13.2 FanGraphs wins above replacement. The Braves are the team to beat in the division after winning the World Series, but their path to a fifth consecutive NL East title will be difficult. He won back-to-back Gold Glove Awards in 2018 and 2019. Stephen Piscotty and Elvis Andrus both have $15 million team options for 2023.