Braves Did a Pitch-Perfect Job of Adding Bullpen Help at Deadline

The Atlanta Braves were busy making moves leading up to today's trade deadline and one of their main focuses was bolstering their bullpen.

Leading up to the 4:00 p.m. ET deadline, the Braves acquired Shane Greene from the Tigers, Chris Martin from the Rangers and Mark Melancon from the Giants.

Greene is an All-Star closer with a 1.18 ERA and a career-low WHIP of just 0.868 this year. He has 22 saves under his belt this year, and is likely to take over as the Braves' closer.

Martin's 3.08 ERA and 1.026 WHIP are both unquestionably solid figures. He picked up four saves as well, acting as the closer in Texas with Shawn Kelley on the IL. Melancon, a 34-year-old veteran, has finished 16 out of the 43 games he's played this year with 44 strikeouts and a 3.50 ERA.

Atlanta has pieced together quality pitchers -- including an All-Star -- to potentially pull even farther ahead of the rest of the NL East.

The Braves may be in position to finish first in their division, but the Phillies and Nationals are right behind them, both trailing 6.5 games behind.

Depth is an essential part of a great team, and it's clear that the Braves were gunning for a deep pitching rotation post-deadline. The bullpen looks ready to support Mike Soroka, an All-Star in his own right.

As good as Atlanta has been all year, they've set themselves up for success through the post-season by making smart moves before the deadline.