ATLANTA (AP) — The Atlanta Braves’ flurry of trade-deadline moves on Friday highlighted how fortunate they are to be in the NL East, where any team close to .500 is still relevant.
Though the Braves entered the day one game under .500, they were only four games behind the first-place New York Mets. Emboldened by the standings, general manager Alex Anthopoulos acquired outfielders Adam Duvall, Jorge Soler and Eddie Rosario and reliever Richard Rodriguez in an attempt to position Atlanta for a run at its fourth consecutive division title.
The moves were notable for a team that has not been above .