Dan McDonnell: Atlanta Braves 'hit a home run' with Adam Duvall trade

Justin Sayers | Courier Journal

When Dan McDonnell was asked Tuesday about the Atlanta Braves' acquisition of Adam Duvall, he couldn't resist using the most appropriate pun.

"I think the Braves hit a home run," said McDonnell, who coached the power-hitting outfielder at the University of Louisville in 2009 and 2010.

Duvall, a Louisville native, Butler High School graduate and one of McDonnell's former Cards, was traded late Monday night by the Cincinnati Reds to the Braves for three players: pitchers Lucas Sims and Matt Wisler, and outfielder Preston Tucker.

The Reds later announced that Sims and Wisler had been optioned to the Louisville Bats.

The Braves see the 29-year-old Duvall as a rotational outfielder who will add power and defense to a team that's chasing its first playoff berth since 2013. Duvall also isn't eligible for free agency until 2022.

"We really value outfield defense, and then you combine power — those are good qualities, and they are hard to find, and the fact that he's eligible for first-time arbitration next year, there is more control with that moving forward," said Braves general manager Alex Anthopoulos, according to MLB.com's Mark Bowman.

See also: We mic'd up former MLB star Doug Flynn at the Bluegrass World Series

More: Ex-MLB stars enjoy Bluegrass World Series opener: 'Like little kids out here'

Duvall, who became the first Louisville alum to reach an MLB All-Star Game when he was selected to play in the game in 2016, tweeted his appreciation for both the fans and the team after four seasons in Cincinnati.

He added that he was looking forward to helping the Braves and "to help continue the winning ways!"

It’s been a wild 12 hrs. First off I’d like to thank the Reds organization for giving me a chance to play the game that I love. Next, to the fans of Cincinnati, I’d like to personally thank you for making my stay in Cincy a good one. You guys showed a lot of love and I’ll never — adam duvall (@aduvall123) July 31, 2018

forget that! Next, I’d like to thank my teammates. You guys made it so much fun to show up to the ballpark everyday and compete. I am going to truly miss you guys! To the trainers, strength coaches and everyone behind the scenes that kept me on the field, I am very grateful. — adam duvall (@aduvall123) July 31, 2018

And last but not least, I want to thank the Braves for adding me to a great team. I look forward to joining you guys, and to help continue the winning ways! — adam duvall (@aduvall123) July 31, 2018

Monday's trade comes during what has been a difficult season for Duvall. He hit just .205 with a .286 on-base percentage in 105 games for the Reds, below his career marks of .233 and .294.

But he also has 15 homers this year and 79 over the last three seasons. That three-year total is more than big names like Joey Votto (74), Bryce Harper (78) and Josh Donaldson (75).

McDonnell said Duvall's power and his ability to drive in runs — he has 61 RBIs this year and 263 over the past three seasons — make him a key deadline acquisition.

"Those are special numbers in the big leagues," McDonnell said. "Batting average is not as sexy as it used to be. It's all about who can drive in runs."

More on Adam Duvall: Reds' 2016 All-Star powers through Type 1 diabetes

Duvall has been through this before: The Reds acquired him in a trade from the San Francisco Giants in 2015.

McDonnell said he hadn't heard from Duvall while the player traveled to Miami, where the Braves will take on the Marlins on Tuesday night.

But he can just imagine that Duvall is going to be "super excited for the opportunity."

"As a player, any time an organization says 'Hey, we think you can help us make a postseason run' it's got to make you feel special," McDonnell said.

Above all, the Braves are acquiring a "phenomenal" clubhouse guy and "great teammate," McDonnell added.

He compared it to when the Chicago Cubs acquired another one of his former players, Chris Coghlan, who was batting .146 at the time in 2016. The Cubs went on to win the World Series.

"I don't know if people realize that. (Organizations) don't just look at stats, and they don't only look at numbers. They're taking a personality — a person, " McDonnell said. "His character, his makeup, what type of teammate he is. I'm sure the Braves thought this is a slam dunk."

Justin Sayers: 502-582-4252; jsayers@courierjournal.com; Twitter: @_JustinSayers. Support strong local journalism by subscribing today: courier-journal.com/justins.