Giants trade Tyler Mahle to Braves for Anthony Molina. How did the teams fare?
· Yahoo Sports
The San Francisco Giants were said to be sellers leading up to the MLB trade deadline and the first domino has fallen.
The Giants dealt veteran right-hand pitcher Tyler Mahle to the Atlanta Braves in exchange for another right-hand pitcher Anthony Molina. The trade was first reported by Fansided MLB insider Robert Murray.
Visit syntagm.co.za for more information.
Molina will continue to develop as he was optioned to Triple-A Sacramento, the Giants said.
The trade comes less than 24 hours until the MLB trade deadline as the cutoff point is Aug. 3 at 6 p.m. ET (3 p.m. PT).
Mahle, 31, leaves the Bay for the A, joining a first-place Braves squad. Overall, Atlanta (67-45) has the third-best record in the National League, sitting 2.5 games behind the Los Angeles Dodgers and Milwaukee Brewers.
Tyler Mahle contract and stats
Mahle signed a one-year, $10 million deal with San Francisco in the offseason, with hopes of bolstering their bullpen. As the Giants' season took loss after loss, the 10-year veteran pitcher put up a 3-9 record with a 5.13 earned run average, 89 strikeouts and a 1.39 WHIP.
His expiring contract made him an asset in trade talks, where he was linked to the Chicago Cubs, but it's the Braves who ultimately acquired Mahle.
Anthony Molina contract and stats
In return, the Giants received Molina, a 24-year-old pitcher who has limited MLB experience. He is in his third MLB season, having spent his first two with the Colorado Rockies. He's appeared in three games in 2026 with the Braves, including two he finished.
In five innings pitched, Molina delivered two strikeouts and has a 5.40 ERA. Molina joins a Giants team that is in need of bullpen rebuild. Overall, San Francisco has the third-worst record in the NL and the second-worst in the NL West.
The move appears to save the Giants some money as they now take on Molina's expiring contract worth $780,000.
San Francisco Giants trade grade: C+
The trade for the Giants is clearly a move that looks ahead to the future. It appears the team's front office is opting to focus on 2027, or 2028 in case there's a lockout year.
Moving off of Mahle's $10 million contract in exchange for $780,000 could save them money in the long run, setting up a contract for ready-now players with an ability to contribute immediately. Plus, Molina will be in the Giants' farm system as he was sent down to the Triple-A affiliate, the Sacramento River Cats.
The Giants haven't been good all year. Ideally, trading for better players would seem more favorable, but with the postseason just about out of reach, looking ahead to the future should at the forefront of San Francisco's minds, the fans, too. The season is a wash.
Atlanta Braves trade grade: B-
This take could age horribly. And that's ok. But Mahle didn't do much damage in San Francisco. The Braves spending more money on someone with his stat line is risky. But you have to take risks to be successful and maybe a change of scenery to a winning team could spark something in the veteran pitcher.
That's the reason for the grade being as high, despite not loving this move from the Braves. How Mahle fits in with the Braves will be something to monitor in the final months of baseball.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY Sports: Giants trade Tyler Mahle to Braves for Anthony Molina. How did the teams fare?