“Go be great” - Braves RoY Michael Harris II bids farewell to former Rookie teammate Vaughan Grissom after Chris Sale trade
To get good players, one has to give good players away, as Michael Harris, Vaughn Grissom and the Atlanta Braves are learning. They traded for longtime ace Chris Sale but they had to send Grissom, a highly-touted prospect who played extensively for them, in return.
It was a sad day for many in the organization who've grown fond of Grissom and believed in his future. Before Orlando Arcia took over and became an All-Star shortstop, Grissom was viewed as the future of the position in Atlanta.
Nevertheless, it was a tough trade for Harris in particular, who had spent plenty of time with Grissom throughout their time coming up in the organization. He shared a tweet wishing his friend farewell and saying:
"Go Be Great GRRIIIIIISSOOOOOOMMMMM."
The star outfielder is hoping that his former teammate will excel in his new home.
Braves sad to see Vaughn Grissom go
It was a difficult trade for the Braves to make, but it was a necessary one. Their pitching faded down the stretch and with a historically good offense, there's one main area the 2023 Braves needed to improve on for 2024.
GM Alex Anthopoulos admitted via Sports Illustrated that it wasn't the easiest trade to make:
"It was tough. One of the harder guys to move. I called him directly. I think so highly of him, I know everyone in the organization does. You're not going to find a better human being. The makeup is a good as they get. High energy player (who) makes people around him better."
The GM had to call and have the difficult conversation with his former player:
"It was really emotional. Any time you get traded for the first time, especially by the organization you're drafted (and) developed by and have strong relationships, that's to be expected. It sucks."
The move will give the infielder more opportunity at playing time. Atlanta has a deep and established lineup, whereas the Boston Red Sox do not.
It's expected that he will play some second base there but has been working in the outfield recently to try and carve out a role, so he will get his chances. Unfortunately, it won't be with the team he once dreamed of playing for.