ATLANTA -- The rebuilding Atlanta Braves invested deeper into their already important June draft on Monday by acquiring the 76th pick in the draft from the Baltimore Orioles in exchange for minor league pitchers Brandon Barker and Trevor Belicek. The Braves also acquired veteran left-hander Brian Matusz, who was immediately designated for assignment. The competitive balance draft pick gives the Braves five of the first 80 picks in the June 9-11 draft, including the No. 3 overall selection. Matusz, 29, had a 12.00 ERA in seven relief appearances this season. He began the season on the 15-day disabled list with back discomfort and never found his form after he was activated on April 23. Matusz, a former top prospect, was 27-41 with a 4.85 ERA in 289 career games, including 68 starts, in eight seasons with Baltimore. He had a 2.94 ERA in 58 games as a left-handed specialist out of the bullpen last season after failing to keep a spot in the rotation. Barker, a 23-year-old right-hander, was 3-2 with a 2.00 ERA in nine games, including eight starts, for Double-A Mississippi this season. Belicek, a lefty who also is 23, was a combined 3-0 with a 2.22 ERA for Class A Rome and Mississippi. Barker was a 16th-round draft pick from Mercer University in 2014. Belicek was selected in the 16th round out of Texas A&M in 2015. The Orioles weren't done dealing Monday, also acquiring right-handed pitching prospect Franderlin Romero from the Cincinnati Reds for two international signing bonus slots. Romero, a 23-year-old Venezuelan, has made eight starts this season for the Single-A Dayton Dragons, going 1-4 with a 2.87 ERA. "With today's moves, we have added to the pitching depth of our organization," Orioles executive vice president Dan Duquette said. "The pitchers we have acquired today are very competitive and have very good instincts. They have excellent control, keep the ball in the ballpark and consistently keep the ball over the plate. Not only have we stocked the pitching in our farm system, but we also added three potential major leaguers." Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
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