Davis Daniel gives the Braves more depth in their rotation.
The Atlanta Braves kept working through their holiday checklist by adding more depth to their roster. On the Friday before Christmas, Alex Anthopoulos made another move, acquiring an Angels starting pitcher by trading minor league left-hander Mitch Farris to Los Angeles in exchange for right-handed pitcher Davis Daniel.
Daniel, 27, made six starts for the Angels last season. With this trade, the Braves’ 40-man roster is now at full capacity.
The #Braves announced today that they acquired RHP Davis Daniel from the Los Angeles Angels in exchange for minor league LHP Mitch Farris.
Davis Daniel adds more depth for the Braves’ starting rotation
Once Spencer Strider returns from his internal brace surgery, the top half of Atlanta’s rotation will be quite formidable, even with the departure of Max Fried to the Yankees. However, the final starting spot remains uncertain, with Grant Holmes currently appearing to be the leading candidate for the role.
Still, as last season demonstrated, injuries can derail even the most well-constructed plans.
Although Davis Daniel’s 6.23 ERA over 30.1 innings isn’t particularly impressive, his 4.16 FIP suggests he performed better than his ERA indicates. The right-hander doesn’t overwhelm with velocity, averaging 91.5 MPH on a fastball that he uses nearly 50% of the time.
The Auburn alum was effective at limiting walks in the major leagues, issuing free passes to just 4.5% of batters while striking out 20.9%. His minor league numbers with Salt Lake City are less impressive, posting a 5.42 ERA in 118 innings at AAA. However, it’s important to consider that the Pacific Coast League is known for its hitter-friendly conditions.
Mitch Farris is headed to the Angels organization. The left-handed starter, a 14th-round pick in 2023, mostly pitched for High-A Rome last season, logging 82.1 innings with a 2.95 ERA. He also spent time at Low-A Augusta and AA Mississippi, though his brief appearance at AA was underwhelming, giving up 3 runs in 3 innings.
FanGraphs noted last year that Farris has solid secondary pitches, but his fastball velocity could be a potential weakness as he progresses.
While this move may not be the big splash many fans have been hoping for all offseason, Alex Anthopoulos is ensuring the Braves won’t find themselves in the same position as last season, when injuries decimated their roster.
