Tommy Hanson Trade Makes No Sense In Long Run

By Andy Schmidt
Daniel Shirey-US PRESSWIRE

The complicated world of how MLB teams operate continued this week with the odd trade between the Atlanta Braves and Los Angeles Angels that sent Tommy Hanson from Atlanta to Los Angeles for Jordan Walden. This trade makes almost no sense to me when I take a step back and look at it. I just don’t see how this trade helps either team out.

Hanson will go into a situation with the Angels where he may be the No. 2 or 3 starter behind Jered Weaver and whoever the Angels decide to sign to fill their rotation. Walden’s role in Atlanta is very unclear with a closer already there in Craig Kimbrel and the eighth inning being taken up by Jonny Venters. So where does Walden even fit in? Are the Braves just going to use him before Venters in the seventh inning or just have Walden as a middle reliever who just shows up at any point of a game?

There are a lot of trades that happen that send one bad contract somewhere else in return for someone else’s bad contract. There may turn into a change of scenery situation for both of these players but in the end, wouldn’t they have been better off with the teams they were already with? Hanson is bound to struggle pitching in the American League against much better hitting teams while Walden may find new success in the National League but is going to need a lot of help getting back to the level he was just at a season or two ago. It was just another interesting week in Major League Baseball.

Andy Schmidt is a columnist/writer for RantSports. Follow him on Twitter @ASchmidtSports or like his Facebook page.

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