Trade Deadline Shakes Up the NL East: Braves Land Mahle, Cubs Grab Gausman
Two more arms change zip codes as contenders reload down the stretch, while the Dodgers' front office pushes back on baseball's biggest storyline.
By Gus "Walk-Off" Fields
The pitching market kept moving over the weekend. The Atlanta Braves, sitting atop the NL East, acquired right-hander Tyler Mahle from the San Francisco Giants in a late Sunday night trade, according to ESPN. The 31-year-old brings a modest 3-9 record and 5.13 ERA with 89 strikeouts this season, a fixer-upper by the numbers but a fresh arm for a club looking to bulk up its staff for the postseason chase.
A few time zones away, word is the Chicago Cubs are bringing in Kevin Gausman from the Blue Jays. According to a source ESPN did not name, the Cubs have acquired Kevin Gausman from the Blue Jays; the Press could not independently confirm the trade at the time of writing. If it holds, Gausman would give Chicago another established veteran presence in a rotation looking to hold its ground as the season turns toward September — but until a team confirms it or a second outlet corroborates, treat it as reported, not settled.
Both moves land against the backdrop of a bigger story line this summer: the Los Angeles Dodgers' acquisition of Tigers ace Tarik Skubal, which has reignited the running argument that the Dodgers' financial muscle is bad for competitive balance in baseball. Asked directly about that criticism, Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman didn't hedge. "Passionately disagree," he told ESPN.
Whether Mahle and a to-be-confirmed Gausman move the needle for Atlanta and Chicago the way Skubal has for Los Angeles is the kind of question only October can answer. But the flurry of moves says something on its own: contenders aren't waiting around. If you're chasing a division — or trying to keep pace with a team spending like the Dodgers — the message this week was clear. Get your pitching now.
— Compiled from reporting by ESPN.
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