Braves trade Tommy Hanson to Angels

[FreshAIG]

Angels Acquire Tommy Hanson For Jordan Walden
By Mike Axisa [November 30 at 11:48am CST]

The Angels have acquired Tommy Hanson from the Braves, reports Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com (on Twitter). Atlanta will receive Jordan Walden in the one-for-one trade, MLBTR has learned.

Uspw_6630220Hanson, 26, pitched to a 4.48 ERA with 8.3 K/9 and 3.7 BB/9 in 174 2/3 innings this year. The right-hander missed time with shoulder tendinitis last season, and his fastball velocity has been trending in the wrong direction as well. Hanson is arbitration-eligible for the first time this winter, and Matt Swartz projects a $4MM salary. He will remain under team control through 2015.

Walden, 25, pitched to 3.46 ERA with 11.1 K/9 and 4.2 BB/9 in 39 innings this year while missing time with a biceps strain. He was an All-Star as a rookie just last season, when he posted a 2.98 ERA with 34 saves in 60 1/3 innings. Walden is under team control through 2016. Earlier this week we heard he was "very available" after the Angels signed Ryan Madson.

The Angels are in the market for starting pitching this offseason after trading Ervin Santana and declining Dan Haren's option. Zack Greinke is a free agent as well, though he is in very high demand. Hanson gives the club a young arm to fill out the rotation behind Jered Weaver and C.J. Wilson. Walden, meanwhile, gives the Braves bullpen depth and a power right-handed setup man in front of closer Craig Kimbrel.
Read more at MLB Rumors - MLBTradeRumors.com

 

[Heretic]

Maybe im missing something but a starting pitcher for a set up guy straight up?

 

[Stone]

Maybe im missing something but a starting pitcher for a set up guy straight up?

we're already pretty deep at starting pitcher.

 

[THASTUNNA]

Braves have alot of pitching in that farm system.

 

[TheGreatShowtime]

That's all? I figured we could have gotten more for Hanson...

 

[Heretic]

we're already pretty deep at starting pitcher.

I know that. I mean I know hanson struggled but I would think you could get more for him.

 

[#1 pick]

This was dumb, Hanson had TOR stuff when his velocity was good and he will probably get it back. Man

 

[Black White Sox Hat]

I may be in the minority but i still don't think we've seen the best from Hanson.I think he could still turn into a elite pitcher.Not to happy about this.

 

[VegetasHairline]

Hanson won't be a top of the rotation guy. He still has shoulder issues, was out of shape all year. Won't get any better in the AL. Gives up way too many HRs, doesn't go deep in games either. Plus there are better options on the roster to replace him with, Hanson wasn't going to be in the rotation.

 

[Czerka]

Hanson won't be a top of the rotation guy. He still has shoulder issues, was out of shape all year. Won't get any better in the AL. Gives up way too many HRs, doesn't go deep in games either. Plus there are better options on the roster to replace him with, Hanson wasn't going to be in the rotation.

shoulder issues are supposedly behind him. the concern is mainly about his back

 

[#1 pick]

shoulder issues are supposedly behind him. the concern is mainly about his back

They said Heyward wouldn't be nothing either and Heyward is a top 25 Baseball player.

 

[AVXL]

Wren ain't playing brehs

 

[#1 pick]

Wren ain't playing brehs

This ain't a good deal breh, this is as bad as the Texas-Atlanta deal.

 

[Stone]

Idk, Hanson is just one of those guys who seems like he'll never reach his full potential. He's a solid 2-3 guy as he is though.

Nice pickup for the Angels if he does, but I don't think we'll miss him too much.

 

[Tuc2DaBoot]

If anyone thought that Hanson was coming back to elite form from that surgery and he was topping out of 91 AT Best and throwing 88 MPH fastballs... you gotta be crazy.

People will look at his W-L record and say he was good. He USED to be good. But he was getting lit up for a better part of 2 seasons now. Dude just had great run support. I like Tommy, but it was time to part ways.

By mid-season, our rotation will be:

Beachy-Medlen-Huddy-Maholm-Minor with Teheran/Delgado filling in for Beachy until then.

Our starting rotation will be fine. Plus we traded him out of the NL so we ain't got anything to worry about. Plus we needed the bullpen help and salary relief. We can go after someone big now if we wanted to.