It was a big day for the Atlanta Braves on Monday, which began with Spencer Strider toeing the rubber for the first time since undergoing internal brace surgery last April. Pretty much any result would have been fine as long as he came out of the outing feeling right, but Strider isn’t one to under-deliver. He was flawless against the Red Sox, retiring all eight batters he faced and striking out six of them.

It was about as perfect as anyone could have drawn it up, but the Braves weren’t finished after their game, signing free agent catcher James McCann to a minor league contract and sending reliever Angel Perdomo to the Angels for cash and a player to be named later.

I wouldn’t look too deep into the signing of James McCann. He’s a capable veteran that can suit up in a pinch, but it still feels like the starting job is Drake Baldwin‘s until Sean Murphy returns. McCann could push for playing time behind Murphy, however.

The decision to trade Angel Perdomo is much more intriguing, giving the vibe of a move before a bigger move. If there’s one area the Braves are light as Opening Day approaches, it’s the bullpen. It’s not World Series caliber as of today, and Perdomo looked like he had a real shot at making the roster, posting a 2.45 ERA over seven appearances this spring.

I get the feeling the Braves are looking to upgrade the bullpen and will continue trying to do so up until the trade deadline. They lost A.J. Minter in free agency and Joe Jimenez is expected to miss most of the season after undergoing offseason knee surgery. Those were the Braves top two set up men from a year ago, and Alex Anthopoulos opted not to bring in anyone through trade or free agency to replace them. However, perhaps that is set to change before the start of the regular season.