We’re barreling toward the 2025 MLB trade deadline, and the Atlanta Braves? They’ve got needs, and they’re not small. Sure, on paper this team still flashes that championship pedigree — Spencer Strider firing darts, Austin Riley anchoring the infield, and Ozzie Albies doing Albies things (when he’s healthy, that is). But let’s not sugarcoat it: the depth? It’s thin. Like “one pulled hamstring away from chaos” thin.
And MLB.com’s Mark Bowman isn’t pulling punches. He’s looking at this Braves roster, and more importantly, their barren farm system, and saying loud and clear — go get some bats. Not just for the show in July and August, but to make sure this team isn’t scraping the bottom of the waiver wire come next April.
Position Player Depth Is Atlanta’s Biggest Weakness
Bowman’s angle? The Braves’ rotation actually looks fine long-term — Strider, Schwellenbach, Holmes, with JR Ritchie and Cam Caminiti coming up the pipeline. But the lineup depth? Woof. It’s rough. There’s not much in the cupboard behind the starters, and if Atlanta wants to avoid the patchwork offense that’s limped through parts of this season, they’ve got to start loading up now.
This is about more than bench strength. It’s about building an internal pipeline of hitters who can step in and deliver. You’re one injury away from giving Stuart Fairchild or Eli White 3–4 starts a week. That’s not exactly a formula for a deep October run.
Rotation Depth Still Feels Risky
Remember, this is a team that let Max Fried and Charlie Morton walk after 2024 — that’s over 350 innings gone. That’s not nothing. Then AJ Smith-Shawver? Done for the year with elbow issues. Chris Sale and Schwellenbach? Recently shelved. And Reynaldo López? Blink and you missed him. All of that leaves Bryce Elder and Grant Holmes as your only rotation holdovers with real 2024 experience. Gulp.
So yes, pitching depth is also an issue — let’s not pretend otherwise — but this isn’t about hoarding arms like doomsday preppers. This is about not running your staff into the ground trying to chase wins in August with Triple-A call-ups starting four out of every five games.
The Braves’ Bench Needs a Serious Upgrade
Let’s face it, this team needs more than stars. It needs guys who can step in when the stars go down — real, capable, Major-League-ready talent. Guys who can fill in at a moment’s notice, give you productive ABs, and maybe even hold the line for a week or two. Right now, the Braves don’t have that. And Bowman’s message is simple: If you’re not adding now, you’re subtracting from your future.
If Alex Anthopoulos and the Braves’ front office are serious about contending — not just this season but sustained contending — then building that position player pipeline isn’t optional. It’s urgent. It’s necessary. And it better start before the deadline buzzer sounds.
Because let’s be real, Braves Nation — October’s a long way off, and you can’t ride the bench bats you’ve got now all the way to a parade.
