Braves Trade For Ex-Yankees Hurler To Bolster Bullpen Depth For Playoff Run

Atlanta added a quality arm to their bullpen on Tuesday

Scott Neville | Jun 7, 2023

Braves Trade For Ex-Yankees Hurler To Bolster Bullpen Depth For Playoff Run /

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The Atlanta Braves acquired some organizational depth in the form of a quality right-handed veteran -- a player whose only big-league experience came with the New York Yankees.

The Braves traded cash to the Tampa Bay Rays for reliever Ben Heller on Tuesday, according to the Major League Baseball transaction log.

The move had multiple Yankees ties, as the Braves designated outfielder Nick Solak for assignment as the corresponding move. Solak was drafted by New York in the second round of the 2016 MLB Draft.

Heller was a valuable member of the Yankees' bullpen but struggled to stay healthy. The 31-year-old hurler posted a 2.59 ERA with a 30-to-15 strikeout-to-walk ratio, .231 batting average against and 1.34 WHIP in 31 1/3 innings spanning from 2016 through 2020.

The longtime veteran arm has racked up some impressive minor-league stats across his career -- 2.97 ERA in 233 games -- but has yet to find a permanent big-league opportunity, mostly due to his long injury history.

The Braves would likely have to sustain an injury or two before giving Heller a chance as they've already sent him to Triple-A Gwinnett. That said, the veteran is more than deserving of a shot given his impressive stats, both at the MLB and MiLB levels.

Published Jun 7, 2023

SCOTT NEVILLE

Scott Neville is the publisher of Inside The Red Sox and Inside The Cardinals, as seen on Sports Illustrated. Before running his own sites, Neville attended Merrimack College, where he earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Communication and Media with a minor in Marketing. Neville spent all four years with Merrimack's radio station WMCK, where he grew as a radio/podcast host and producer. His propensity for being in front of a microphone eventually expanded to film, where he produced multiple short films alongside his then-roommate and current co-worker Stephen Mottram. On a journey that began as a way to receive easy credits via film classes, he received a call from "It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia" star Charlie Day. Day advised him to make a feature-length film, which he completed his senior year. While writing the film, Neville completed an internship for United Way as part of their NFL Partnership Program. Neville ran the blog for a team of interns and hosted an internet show called "United Way's NFL Partnership Series" where he interviewed NFL alumni. After college Neville wrote for SB Nation's "Over The Monster," a Red Sox sister site of the flagship brand. His work would eventually lead him to a job as a content producer with NESN, where he would cover all sports. After developing as a writer with the top regional network in the world, he was given the opportunity to join FanNation and the Sports Illustrated Media Group as the publisher of "Inside The Red Sox." Now Neville is adding the New York market to his arsenal as well as Boston and St. Louis. Follow him on Twitter: @ScottNeville46 Email: nevilles@merrimack.edu