With less than 48 hours until MLB’s trade deadline, the Braves swung a deal with the Royals to acquire infielder Nicky Lopez in exchange for relief pitcher Taylor Hearn. Considering the big names that have already switched teams—Max Scherzer, Lucas Giolito and Jordan Montgomery, to name a few—this certainly qualifies as a minor move. Lopez is hitting .210 with no homers on the year and will surely play a bench role for Atlanta, while Hearn has given up 12 runs in just seven appearances this season.
So no, there likely won’t be much in the way of analysis of this trade by the baseball pundits. But it’s quite a notable transaction for Hearn, whose head is likely spinning as it’s his second time being traded in less than a week.
Hearn, 28, was a part of the Rangers’ pitching staff starting in 2019, shifting between the bullpen and the rotation. He logged over 100 innings in the past two seasons, though he spent most of the ’23 campaign in the minor leagues.
Texas dealt him to Atlanta in exchange for cash considerations on July 23, and he made his Braves debut on Saturday. It did not go well, as he gave up four runs with two walks and a home run allowed while recording just one out, raising his season ERA to 14.73.
The Braves cutting ties with him so quickly is an extreme yet understandable move, and it underscores the pressures players feel this time of year. While Hearn is on his way to Kansas City, he’ll likely be counting down the hours until Tuesday’s 6 p.m. ET deadline finally passes.
