BALTIMORE – The Atlanta Braves bolstered their bullpen for a run at the NL East title, obtaining right-hander Brad Brach on Sunday in a trade with the Baltimore Orioles for $250,000 of international signing bonus allotment.
Brach is 1-2 with a 4.85 ERA and owns a 10.80 ERA in eight games this month. Left-handers are hitting .342 against him, and he has allowed runs in 11 of 42 appearances.
Brach is only two years removed from making the American League All-Star team, though, has 11 saves this season and has worked as Baltimore’s closer for long stretches over the past two years.
“Look, he’s not having the year he’s had in the past. But we think there is some upside there based on what he’s done in the past,” Braves general manager Alex Anthopolous said. “He’s had some bad luck. There could be some things with his mix -some tweaks we could make to get him back to the high level he’s performed at in the past.”
Brach’s departure followed the trades of slugging infielder Manny Machado to the Los Angeles Dodgers and of closer Zach Britton to the New York Yankees.