The Braves announced they have acquired White Sox reliever Aaron Bummer late Thursday night, marking one of the first major trades since the MLB offseason began. Atlanta sent five players to Chicago as part of the deal: pitchers Mike Soroka, Jared Shuster and Riley Gowens and infielders Nicky Lopez and Braden Shewmake.
Bummer endured a disappointing 2023 season, recording a 6.79 ERA in 61 games, but had previously been a staple in the White Sox bullpen. Between 2019 and ’22, the 30-year-old totaled a 2.59 ERA in 161 games out of the bullpen in Chicago, and the lefty has one year and two club options left on his contract.
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Soroka is the biggest name the White Sox are receiving in the deal, as the former All-Star went 13-4 with a 2.68 ERA for Atlanta in 2019. However, he has battled injuries since tearing his right Achilles tendon in ’20, missing each of the next two seasons before struggling in his return to the majors in ’23.
Besides Soroka, Shuster is a former top Braves prospect who also struggled this season, accumulating a 5.81 ERA in 11 games, while Gowens is a 24-year-old whom Atlanta selected in the ninth round of this year’s draft. Shewmake, a strong middle infielder who’s struggled at the plate, is the best prospect going to the White Sox in the deal. Lopez is a veteran who spent parts of four seasons with the Royals before going to Atlanta in July.
The trade allows Atlanta to acquire a bullpen piece and clear roster space early in the offseason.
