Buck Farmer was out of Atlanta before the Braves even threw a pitch on Opening Day. Yeah, that escalated fast. Let’s dive into this shake-up in Braves Country and what it could mean for the 2025 season.
The Bullpen Budget Crunch
AJ Minter walked in free agency. Joe Jimenez hit the IL with a knee issue. That’s two key bullpen arms gone before the season even begins. And what did the Braves do to plug the gap? They went bargain-hunting.
There are no big-name acquisitions or jaw-dropping signings—just a pile of minor-league deals and an invitation to battle it out in spring training. Enter Buck Farmer, a veteran reliever with a respectable 3.04 ERA over 61 appearances for the Reds last year. Solid. Quietly effective. Cheap. All the things Atlanta was looking for.
But here’s the problem: spring didn’t go his way. Farmer failed to stand out in camp, got sent down to Triple-A Gwinnett, and things only unraveled from there. After five rough outings and a 7.71 ERA, the Braves decided they’d seen enough. No waiting, no leash—they pulled the plug and released him.
Why the Quick Hook?
Releasing a guy with Farmer’s resume this fast raises eyebrows. He wasn’t dominant, sure, but cutting him loose this early? That’s a choice. The likely reasoning: Atlanta had already sketched out which relievers were next in line, and Farmer’s name didn’t make the shortlist.
Rather than let him hang out in the minors and potentially lower his value even more, they cut ties and gave him a shot to catch on somewhere else—because, let’s be real, somebody will grab him.
Braves Trouble Still Brewing in the ‘Pen
But that leaves Atlanta’s bullpen situation still very much in flux. Yes, some roles are locked in, but you’re leaning hard on wildcards like Jose Suarez, Zach Thompson, and Enyel De Los Santos.
Those guys have flashes, but they’re not exactly locks. Spencer Strider’s eventual return from the IL will shake things up even more—somebody will lose a spot, and unless one of those fringe arms finds some lightning in a bottle, it could be a revolving door in the early months.
Farmer’s release might’ve been necessary, but it doesn’t solve the bigger issue: the Braves still need reliable arms. The gamble on depth pieces and budget buys will only work if at least one or two of those projects hit. Otherwise, expect Alex Anthopoulos and the crew to start working on the phones quickly.
