We’ve got just a few minutes left before the Trade Deadline passes, and Peter Gammons says it could be coming …
Waiting on Bonafacio, maybe Russell to Braves
— Peter Gammons (@pgammo) July 31, 2014
I am tense.
UPDATE (3:13pm CT): Obviously the Deadline has passed, but sometimes these things get sorted out soon after (as long as they were submitted in time). Two Braves beat writers suggest something is being worked on, though they haven’t mentioned a team yet.
UPDATE (3:21pm CT): James Russell, who had come into the dugout last inning, went back out the bullpen and is reportedly hugging teammates out there. HUGS.
UPDATE (3:24pm CT): Gordon Wittenmyer has a source saying it is, indeed, Bonifacio and Russell headed to the Braves.
UPDATE (3:28pm CT): Patrick Mooney hears this is the only trade the Cubs are making today.
UPDATE (3:34pm CT): Wittenmyer says it’s a minor league catcher, and I’m trying so hard to tell myself there’s NO WAY it’s Christian Bethancourt.
UPDATE (3:36pm CT): Gammons says it’s Victor Caratini, who was just ranked by MLB.com as the Braves’ 7th best prospect. Early take on Caratini, who is just 20 and in Low-A, is that the bat looks interesting. I’ll need to research the catching skills, but he was a second round pick for the Braves just last year.
UPDATE (3:41pm CT): It sounds like Caratini could really be an average catcher, at least, behind the plate, so this is a good get for a system that really needs catching depth. I’ll have much more on the Cubs’ newest prospect soon, but, early take: this is a really nice get for the Cubs’ pieces. Really nice. Sounds like the Cubs are chipping in cash, which helped them get a better prospect.