Atlanta Braves get: DH Jorge Soler, RHP Luke Jackson

San Francisco Giants get: Left-handed pitcher Tyler Matzek, 3B/OF Sabin Ceballos

Brisbee Award: The Braves looked set for a heartwarming reunion of their 2021 World Series team, featuring Jorge Soler and Luke Jackson, but the goodwill was sucked out of the room when it was announced that Tyler Matzek was returning to the Giants. HAVE YOU NO DECENCY, ALEX ANTHOPOULOS, SIR?

All joking aside, the deal makes sense for both sides … with a catch. Or a non-catch. But we’ll get to that. Soler is valuable to the Braves because of his bat, and the World Series MVP was one of the Giants’ best hitters in July, walking a lot and hitting doubles and home runs. Since going under the Mendoza Line on May 31, Soler has an .860 OPS. He’s probably still the hitter the Giants thought they were getting, and the hitter the Braves desperately need.

Luke Jackson has struggled mightily this season and I sincerely hope he doesn’t check his social media that much. But in his last three outings he’s shown the sharpest slider he’s ever had with the Giants, so the Braves are willing to take a chance on an old friend.

As for the downside for the Braves, it certainly seems likely that they’ll also be adding Marcell Ozuna. Either he’ll be in the outfield or Soler, and it probably won’t be pretty. Their need for offense, however, was just as acute.

The Giants will have lower salaries and now have a good chance to get under the luxury tax line, especially if they trade Michael Conforto (a Blake Snell trade wouldn’t help them much, as Andrew Baggarly explains here).

The trade also opens up two roster spots. The Giants have been yo-yoing Spencer Bivens back and forth from Sacramento, even though he’s pitched well at both spots, and they also weren’t sure how to get Marco Luciano to bat now that he’s hot in the minors. Now they have a spot.

As for the prospect, Sabin Ceballos, he was a 3rd round pick in the 2023 MLB Draft who was ranked 13th on Keith Law’s preseason list, which seems much better than a player who will be named later. However, reshuffling the money is the priority for the Giants. This will give them the financial flexibility to go second to Juan Soto this coming offseason.

Giants: B+
Brave: B

Sam Blum: Wait, don’t the Braves already have a DH?

Jorge Soler has played zero innings in the field this year. And current DH Marcell Ozuna has only played 14 innings total. That will be an interesting situation to maneuver.

Ditching Soler’s contract is a smart move by the Giants. Signing him in the first place? Well, that’s another story. But as noted, he’s not playing on the field. And his offensive decline in 2024 may not accelerate much when he’s 33 and 34.

The Braves are hoping to capture lightning in a bottle again. Soler was a deadline acquisition nearly three years ago. Just as he has this season, he underperformed in Kansas City. And Atlanta clearly believes he can do what he did in 2021: be reborn with a change of scenery and become a crucial part of a postseason run.

The same could be said for Luke Jackson. He was elite in 2021, but was very poor this season in San Francisco. Maybe coming home will be good for him.

Still, this feels like a vibes move for the Braves. Their season so far has been similar to 2021. Ronald Acuna Jr. is out for the year. The team is underperforming. Vibes can be great in baseball sometimes. They were three years ago in Atlanta. But this is a manufactured vibe and it’s hard to expect the same result twice. They haven’t given up much in terms of players, but adding at least $28 million after this season is a big deal.

San Francisco gets back an injured Tyler Matzek, and infield prospect Sabin Ceballos, Atlanta’s third-round selection from last season who has put up solid numbers in High A.

It’s hard to say exactly what this means for the Giants, who are just barely in the postseason picture, having won four straight. There’s also the matter of Giants executive Farhan Zaidi’s future, and raising the white flag in 2024 might not be in his best interests.

Either way, this was a good move for the Giants. It frees them up financially and gives them a decent prospect.

Atlanta desperately needed an offense. But they added a one-dimensional player who isn’t getting any younger. They’re trying to play the hits. Maybe it’ll work. But on paper, this deal is a mystery to them.

Giants: B
Brave: D

(Photo: Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)