On June 18, Braves president of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos mentioned Atlanta is “not promoting.” They’ve gone 7-11 and misplaced two of their three finest beginning pitchers to long-term accidents since then. They’re 11 video games beneath .500 and have dropped behind the Marlins within the NL East standings. The entrance workplace could not have wished to promote, however the staff has left them no selection.
The extra fascinating query is whether or not they really feel it’s a necessity to make a serious shakeup. They might transfer a pair leases and run it again with principally the identical roster in 2026. That’d be a sign they view this season as an injury-wrecked aberration. That would not handle among the points — a scarcity of rotation depth, zero manufacturing from the underside half of the lineup — which have tanked their ’25 season. The Braves have dedicated to the identical core with a boatload of long-term extensions. Do they really feel they want a big change to that group?
File: 40-51 (5.1% playoff odds, per FanGraphs)
Different collection entries: Rockies, Giants, Phillies, Pirates, Astros, Marlins, Athletics, Orioles, White Sox, Nationals, Cubs, Rays, Dodgers
Promote Mode
Impending Free Brokers: Marcell Ozuna, Raisel Iglesias, Rafael Montero
The Braves solely have three leases, none of whom could be an enormous commerce chip. Montero is a league common center reliever who may very well be cashed in for a lottery ticket prospect. Ozuna and Iglesias are greater names and extra fascinating commerce targets, however they’ve every had inconsistent seasons and are fairly costly.
Iglesias, 35, is enjoying on a $16MM wage. The veteran righty misplaced his maintain on the nearer function final month. He has carried out higher since transferring into extra low-leverage conditions, rattling off 12 1/3 frames of four-run ball because the starting of June. Iglesias has not allowed a house run in that stretch, an enormous turnaround after he gave up seven longballs via the season’s first two months. He nonetheless has a robust strikeout and stroll profile, however he is carrying a career-worst 4.81 earned run common over 33 2/3 innings on the yr. The Braves would in all probability must pay down a part of the contract to maneuver him for a semi-notable prospect.
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