Earlier on Wednesday, the Atlanta Braves lost All-Star closer Kenley Jansen to the Boston Red Sox during MLB free agency.
While the move this team made later in the day won’t make up for Jansen’s absence, it sure will help with depth in the rotation.
Atlanta announced Wednesday evening that it has picked up All-Star reliever Joe Jimenez from the Detroit Tigers for prospects Justyn-Henry Malloy and Jake Higginbotham.
Malloy is the headliner heading back to Detroit in the deal. He was Atlanta’s No. 11 prospect ahead of the trade and saw some action in Triple-A in 2022. In three minor league stops, the 22-year-old hit .289 with 17 homers, 81 RBI and an .862 OPS. Higginbotham was an 11th-round pick of the Braves back in 2018. The reliever pitched to a 4.73 ERA and 1.50 WHIP in Double-A last season.
Though, Jimenez is the obvious headliner in this three-player swap.
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How Joe Jimenez fits in with the Atlanta Braves
Raisel Iglesias will likely take over closer duties in Atlanta with Jansen now in Boston. The Braves also have Collin McHugh and A.J. Minter prepared to take up some late-inning work.
An All-Star with the Tigers back in 2018, Jimenez pitched to a 3.49 ERA with a 1.09 WHIP while striking out 77 batters in 56.2 innings a season ago. He has some electric stuff and has proven to be dominant at times.
With that said, the 27-year-old struggled in the two seasons leading up to 2022. That included posting a 6.35 ERA with a bloated 1.47 WHIP. The Atlanta Braves obviously hope he’s closer to 2022 form once next season comes calling.