The Braves made moves before the trade deadline. Just not the move many expected.
Over the past few days, Atlanta president of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos added outfielder Lane Thomas, starting pitcher Tyler Mahle, and reliever Brent Suter in an effort to strengthen the roster for the stretch run. The additions addressed several areas, giving the club another right-handed bat, extra bullpen depth, and another arm for the rotation. Yet when the deadline arrived Monday evening, the biggest story centered on the player the Braves did not acquire.
Atlanta spent time pursuing higher-end starting pitching but ultimately held onto its top prospects rather than pay the asking prices attached to some of the biggest names on the market.
“We didn’t go into the Deadline with the thought that we have to get this or we have to get that,” Anthopoulos said. “We were just trying to make the team better. A few years ago, we could have gotten one of the elite starters in the game, but Drake Baldwin would have been going out the door. That’s not to say those are easy decisions. You’d like to get deals done. But there’s certain asks you say yes to, and those are the deals that you do. And there’s certain ones you say no to.”
Braves Pitching Pursuit Fell Short
Reports indicated the Braves repeatedly checked in on Rangers ace Jacob deGrom. A potential framework reportedly involved large contracts, including Spencer Strider’s deal, but Texas never appeared eager to move forward. By Monday afternoon, deGrom also said he would not have approved a trade to any team.
When asked whether a no-trade clause prevented one of Atlanta’s potential deals, Anthopoulos responded with a laugh before telling the reporter, “You should have been a lawyer.”
He declined to elaborate further, saying only that deals fall apart for many different reasons.
Atlanta also stayed out of the bidding for Tarik Skubal, who landed with the Dodgers, while other notable starters changed teams elsewhere. The Padres acquired Robbie Ray and Casey Mize, and the Cubs added Kevin Gausman and Clay Holmes. Those moves left Mahle as the Braves’ lone rotation addition.
Rotation Questions Remain
Mahle gives Atlanta another capable starter, but he is not the frontline arm many fans hoped would arrive after injuries to Spencer Strider and Spencer Schwellenbach created uncertainty in the rotation. If the postseason began today, Chris Sale, Bryce Elder, and Martín Pérez would likely line up as the first three starters in a playoff series.
That group has helped keep the Braves in excellent position during the regular season, but whether it is enough to navigate October remains the larger question.
Despite those concerns, Atlanta continues to control the NL East. The club sits 22 games over .500 and holds an eight-game lead over the second-place Phillies. Reinforcements are also arriving from within. Catcher Sean Murphy and shortstop Ha-Seong Kim were activated from the injured list on Monday, giving the roster another boost alongside the deadline additions.
New Faces Join the Club
The Braves also reshaped the roster through several corresponding moves. Joey Bart was traded to the White Sox for minor league pitcher Duncan Davitt, while Eli White was dealt to the Red Sox for minor league pitcher Tyler Uberstine. Jorge Mateo was designated for assignment, and James Karinchak and JR Ritchie were optioned to Triple-A Gwinnett.
Thomas is expected to platoon with Mike Yastrzemski in left field while providing another right-handed option against left-handed pitching. Mauricio Dubón shifts into a utility role, with Jim Jarvis remaining the everyday shortstop. Mahle is scheduled to make his Braves debut this weekend at Yankee Stadium, and Suter’s versatility should help reduce the workload on Atlanta’s bullpen by covering multiple innings when needed.
The Braves unquestionably improved their roster in several areas before the deadline. Whether they improved enough without adding the impact starting pitcher many viewed as the club’s biggest need is a question that will not be answered until the season reaches its most important games.
