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Matt Olson Traded To Atlanta Braves

Gold Glove

All-Star first baseman Matt Olson has been traded from the Oakland Athletics to the Atlanta Braves, per Jeff Passan.

In return, the Braves sent top outfield prospect Cristian Pache and top catching prospect Shea Langeliers out West. Minor League right-handers Ryan Cusick and Joey Estes complete the deal. Braves beat writer Mark Bowman “ended Freddie Freeman’s legendary tenure with Atlanta.” Freeman, as of writing, continues to be a free agent. However, it is not difficult to logically conclude the same thing. Even so, the Braves have gotten a top-notch first baseman, a multi-time Gold Glove winner, and an Atlanta native.

The Career of Matt Olson

In 2012, the Athletics selected Matt Olson with the 47th overall pick in the MLB Draft. He made a small impact almost instantly, hitting .282 in his first 50 Minor League games. In 2014, with the Single-A Advanced Stockton Ports, he exploded for 37 homers and 97 RBI. This would be his crowning achievement before getting the call to the big leagues in 2016. He went two for his first 28 and returned with the Triple-A Nashville Sounds. However, in 2017, he’d make a return and never looked back. He hit .259 with 24 homers and 49 hits, finishing fourth in AL Rookie of The Year voting.

From there, he continued to prove his worth. In 2018, he won a Gold Glove Award while hitting 29 homers and playing 162 games. He pushed his power further in 2019, crushing 36 home runs and establishing himself as a feared dinger machine. A second Gold Glove Award was the icing on that particular cake. After a horrible time in the COVID shortened 2020 season, he roared back in 2021. He made his first All-Star appearance, posting career highs in average (.271), homers (39), RBI (111), hits (153), and doubles (35). His first career top ten finish in MVP voting cemented this tremendous season.

Players Mentioned:

Matt Olson, Cristian Pache, Shea Langeliers, Ryan Cusick, Joey Estes, Freddie Freeman

Caleb Begley

Caleb Begley

Caleb Begley is a 26 year old lover of all things sports, but especially our nation's great national pastime. He holds a degree in Broadcast Journalism from Southern Adventist University in Collegedale, Tennessee, and hopes to use it to create a career within the sportscasting realm. While in school, he was able to write and edit for the school paper's sports section, while also helping to anchor and produce the student newscast. As far as baseball itself is concerned, he is always willing to talk about the history of the game, and the statistics and stories that go along with it. He is thrilled to be able to be a part of the Last Word on Baseball team, and he hopes that he is able to contribute something that is both factual and interesting.

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