Braves acquire White Sox left-handed reliever Aaron Bummer in late night 6-player deal
The Braves and White Sox lit a match on the MLB Hot Stove completing a six player deal.
Atlanta acquired left-handed reliever Aaron Bummer from Chicago for right-handed pitcher Mike Soroka, lefty Jared Shuster, pitching prospect Riley Gowens, infielders Nicky Lopez and Braden Shewmake.
Bummer went 5-5 with a career-high 6.79 ERA in 61 appearances this past year. The 30-year-old was selected by Chicago in the 19th round in the 2014 draft. His deal will pay him $5.5 million in 2024 and includes club options for $7.25 million in 2025 and $7.5 million in 2026.
The Calif. native joins a deep Braves bullpen that includes closer Raisel Iglesias, left-hander A.J. Minter and a pair of righties Atlanta re-signed this winter in Joe Jimenez (three years, $26 million) and Pierce Johnson (two years, $14.25 million).
The White Sox get a solid haul back from the Braves for Bummer, including Soroka, who headlines the trade. The 26-year-old was once a promising pitching prospect that has been hampered by injuries the last few seasons.
Since he was drafted in the first round back in 2015, Soroka has torn his right Achilles tendon twice and after returning to pitch in the big leagues in 2023, he shut down in September with forearm tightness.
The right-hander enjoyed a breakout season in 2019 making the National League All-Star team, posting a 2.68 ERA in 174.2 innings.
Soroka was a potential non-tender candidate for Friday’s deadline. He will become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the 2024 season.
Shuster, a former first round pick also heads to the south side in the deal. He debuted in the major leagues with a 5.81 ERA, making 11 starts in 2023. In 52.2 innings, he struck out 30, walked 26 and allowed seven home runs.
His stock had fallen with the Braves, opting for other young hard-throwing pitchers over the lefty, making him expendable in the trade.
Shewmake will turn 26 on Sunday, is another former first round pick. He competed with infielder Vaughn Grissom for the starting shortstop job with Atlanta. Both players lost out to Orlando Arcia, who went on to make the NL All-Star team this past season.
Shewmake hit just .234 with a .299 OBP and .706 OPS in 122 games at Triple-A Gwinnett. The infielder looked overmatched in two games during a brief call-up with the Braves this year.
Lopez was another potential non-tender candidate with the Braves. He is due to make roughly $4 million in arbitration this winter. If he sticks with the White Sox, he is an infield candidate to replace Tim Anderson, who is a free agent.
Gowens is a former ninth-rounder picked in the 2023 draft. The minor-league righty owned a 1.15 ERA in five games (three starts) in rookie ball and Low-A Augusta, posting 22 strikeouts and six walks in 15 2/3 innings.
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