News Braves Team Notes

Braves Sign Jose Cuas To Minor League Deal

The Braves have signed right-hander Jose Cuas to a minor league deal, according to the transactions tracker on his MLB.com profile page. Cuas, who the Braves have initially assigned to Double-A, was previously in the Phillies organization at Triple-A but was released earlier this month.

Cuas, 31 next month, made his pro debut with the Brewers back in 2018 but didn’t make it to the majors until 2022 as a member of the Royals organization after bouncing between the minor leagues with the Brewers and Diamondbacks and mixing in multiple stints with the independent Long Island Ducks. The righty began throwing sidearm during his time with the Ducks and took that approach into the big leagues with him, posting a 3.58 ERA (115 ERA+) with a 4.39 FIP in 47 appearances for Kansas City during his rookie campaign.

The right-hander continued to pitch for the Royals the following year, but was traded to the Cubs ahead of the 2023 trade deadline in exchange for outfielder Nelson Velazquez. Cuas proceeded to pitch to a 3.04 ERA in 23 2/3 innings of work down the stretch for Chicago, albeit with a 4.90 FIP, 19.0% strikeout rate, and 14.0% walk rate that all stood out as potential red flags regarding the righty’s effectiveness. Cuas remained in the Cubs’ bullpen mix for the start of the 2024 season, but was cut from the team after surrendering a 7.43 ERA with a 6.02 FIP across nine appearances early last year. He was plucked off waivers by the Blue Jays shortly thereafter but surrendered three runs in three innings of work for Toronto with more walks than strikeouts before being claimed by the Phillies in September.

Cuas did not make an appearance for Philadelphia at the big league level in 2024 before being outrighted off the 40-man roster back in January. He began the year with the club’s Triple-A affiliate in LeHigh Valley, but was cut loose after surrendering a 13.50 ERA with more walks than strikeouts in seven outings at Triple-A. After going unsigned on the open market for a couple of weeks, he’s now caught on with Atlanta and will try to work out his control issues at the Double-A level.

If the Braves can figure out how to harness Cuas’s impressive raw stuff, he could prove to be an asset to a bullpen that is in desperate need of reinforcements. Raisel Iglesias is in the midst of a career-worst season as the club’s closer after dominating in the role as recently as last year, and while other arms like Daysbel Hernandez and Aaron Bummer have mostly pitched well this year, the club’s relievers have posted a 4.01 FIP that leaves them sixth from the bottom in the NL this year. Getting Iglesias right will of course be the most important factor in turning the club’s relief corps around, but if Cuas can get right and offer another viable arm to the club that would provide a real boost to Atlanta’s efforts to force itself back into the playoff conversation after their brutal 0-7 start to the season has largely been erased by a run of strong play in more recent weeks. For now, he joins a battery of non-roster depth options for the bullpen that also includes Craig Kimbrel and Jesse Chavez.
Click to expand...

Source: https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025/05/braves-sign-jose-cuas-to-minor-league-deal.html
 
AJ Smith-Shawver Placed On 15-Day IL With Elbow Strain

Between games of today’s doubleheader against the Phillies, the Braves placed right-hander AJ Smith-Shawver on the 15-day injured list with a right elbow strain. Righty Michael Petersen has been recalled to take his place on the active roster.

Smith-Shawver started the first game the twin bill today but departed in the third inning. There was some initial speculation he had sustained a foot injury since he had been hit by a comebacker in the game, but it’s now clear that it’s a more ominous elbow injury. Per Mark Bowman of MLB.com, the righty felt a pop in his elbow and is now going back to Atlanta for testing. Those tests will reveal more information but manager Brian Snitker says that “it doesn’t look good.”

More concrete information will surely be forthcoming after Smith-Shawver visits with the medical experts but it seems fair to wonder about the worst-case situation in this scenario. The specter of a notable surgery is always looming when a pitcher’s elbow is in the spotlight and the omens seem particularly gloomy in this case. Even if Smith-Shawver can avoid the scalpel, a notable absence of some kind could still be a possibility.

Prior to this injury, Smith-Shawver seemed to be putting a bit of a breakout together. He came into this season with just 29 2/3 innings of major league experience. Before today’s truncated outing, he had added 41 2/3 innings over eight starts this year. He has allowed 3.67 earned runs per nine in those with a 22.7% strikeout rate and 11% walk rate. He seemed to be in the process of establishing himself as a bonafide big league starter but that will be put on hold now, potentially for an extended amount of time.

For the club, they will have to figure out how to fill that rotation spot. Reynaldo López is out due to arthroscopic shoulder surgery and is still a few months away from a potential return. Four spots are currently held by Chris Sale, Spencer Strider, Spencer Schwellenbach and Grant Holmes.

Per Bowman, Bryce Elder is likely to come up and take over for Smith-Shawver. Elder has a 4.50 ERA in eight starts for Atlanta this year. They could also kick that decision down the road a bit. They have Sale going in tonight’s game, followed by Holmes, Schwellenbach and Strider in their weekend series against the Red Sox. They are off on Monday and could therefore go back to Sale on regular rest on Tuesday. That would mean Elder wouldn’t be needed until next weekend, though they could also call him up early next week and push everyone back a day.

Assuming Elder holds a rotation spot for a while, the club’s top depth options will likely now be Hurston Waldrep, Nathan Wiles and Davis Daniel. All three of them are on the 40-man roster and pitching in Triple-A.

Photo courtesy of Bill Streicher, Imagn Images
Click to expand...

Source: https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025/05/aj-smith-shawver-being-evaluated-for-elbow-injury.html
 
AJ Smith-Shawver Diagnosed With Torn UCL

Braves right-hander AJ Smith-Shawver has been diagnosed with a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his throwing elbow, reports Mark Bowman of MLB.com. It is still being determined whether the righty will undergo Tommy John surgery or an internal brace procedure. In either case, he should miss the remainder of this season and part of the 2026 campaign as well.

The news is devastating but not surprising. Smith-Shawver started the first game of yesterday’s doubleheader against the Phillies. He was removed in the third inning and it was quickly reported that he felt a pop in his throwing elbow. He was placed on the 15-day IL before the second game of that twin bill with an elbow strain. “It doesn’t look good,” was manager Brian Snitker’s assessment of the situation. He was transferred to the 60-day IL earlier today, only enhancing the sense that bad news was coming.

All the warning signs have now proven to be accurate. Smith-Shawver will go under the knife and the only thing left to determine is if he’ll require a full Tommy John procedure or the internal brace variant. The latter generally comes with a slightly lesser return timeline, but even that reduced time frame is generally around a year or so. He will therefore spend the rest of the year on the 60-day IL and will perhaps start the 2026 season there as well.

He will collect big league pay and service time while on the IL but that’s a small consolation. He was in the middle of establishing himself as a true big league starter. He had logged 44 1/3 innings over nine starts this year with a 3.86 earned run average. His 10.9% walk rate was on the high side but his 21.9% strikeout rate was slightly above par for a starter. He’ll now have to wait until 2026 to build off that showing.

For the team, they are now down two starters. Reynaldo López had arthroscopic shoulder surgery earlier in the year and seems unlikely to return until late in the season, even in a best-case scenario.

Bryce Elder will be recalled to start on Sunday, per Bowman. Elder seemingly cemented himself in the big leagues in 2023 when he posted a 3.81 ERA over 31 starts. However, his results backed up last year, which bumped him down the chart to being a frequently-optioned depth piece. He was only able to make ten big league starts last year with a 6.52 ERA. He has continued to be shuttled to Gwinnett and back here in 2025. He has a 4.50 ERA in eight big league starts as well as an 8.76 ERA in three Triple-A starts.

If Elder falters, he still has options and the club has other arms available. Hurston Waldrep, Nathan Wiles and Davis Daniel are all on the 40-man roster and pitching in the Triple-A rotation. Ian Anderson and José Suarez are not on the 40-man roster but both have major league experience and are pitching in the Triple-A rotation as well.

Photo courtesy of Bill Streicher, Imagn Images
Click to expand...

Source: https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025/05/aj-smith-shawver-diagnosed-with-torn-ucl.html
 
Braves Sign Jose Azocar, Transfer AJ Smith-Shawver To 60-Day IL

The Braves announced this morning that they’ve selected the contract of outfielder Jose Azocar to the major league roster. Azocar just elected free agency two days ago after being outrighted by the Mets. Atlanta hadn’t announced their signing of him, but it seems he signed a minor league pact and has quickly been summoned to the majors. In a concerning development, righty AJ Smith-Shawver, who was recently placed on the IL due to an elbow strain, has already been transferred to the 60-day injured list. He’ll now miss at least two months of action.

Atlanta also placed outfielder Stuart Fairchild on the 10-day IL with a dislocated pinkie finger, optioned righty Michael Petersen to Triple-A Gwinnett and recalled left-hander Dylan Dodd.

Azocar, 29, appeared in a dozen games for the Mets this year and went 5-for-18 (all singles). He’s seen action in each of the past four MLB seasons, primarily with the Padres, and carries a career .245/.290/.320 slash with two homers and 19 steals in 417 plate appearances.

The righty-swinging Azocar’s game is focused on defense and baserunning, much like the injured Fairchild, who he’s effectively replacing on Atlanta’s roster. Azocar is actually a narrow tick faster, averaging 28.9 ft/sec to Fairchild’s 28.7, per Statcast’s measurements. The specifics aren’t all that important with a gap that small; the larger takeaway is that the Braves aren’t losing any speed off the bench and are swapping out the injured Fairchild for another solid defender who can handle all three outfield spots. There is, however, a notable gap in offensive skill set. Neither is a plus hitter overall, but Fairchild has solid splits against lefties in his big league career. Azocar, despite swinging right-handed, actually has considerably better career marks versus righties than lefties.

The news on Smith-Shawver comes as a significant concern. He started the first game of yesterday’s doubleheader but was tagged for two runs in 2 2/3 innings before departing with elbow discomfort. Atlanta placed him on the 15-day IL with an elbow strain between starts. The immediate move to the 60-day IL rules Smith-Shawver out until at least late July, and the specter of an even lengthier absence will now loom until the Braves provide a more detailed update on his status.

Smith-Shawver’s injury is the latest in a long line of notable injuries for Atlanta this year. The former top prospect was among the leaders in a weak National League Rookie of the Year field. Through his first seven starts, Smith-Shawver coasted to a terrific 2.33 ERA, fanning nearly a quarter of his opponents (albeit against a less-encouraging 10.6% walk rate). Things have taken an ugly turn over his past two starts. The Nats trounced him for seven runs in three innings last week, and he was shaky before being lifted from yesterday’s start.

Smith-Shawver joins Reynaldo Lopez and Joe Jimenez as key pitchers on the 60-day injured list for the Braves. Atlanta has also endured notable absences from ace Spencer Strider, star outfielder Ronald Acuña Jr. and catcher Sean Murphy, though all three are healthy and active at the moment.
Click to expand...

Source: https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025...r-transfer-aj-smith-shawver-to-60-day-il.html
 
Braves Hire Fredi Gonzalez As Third Base Coach

The Braves announced that they’ve hired Fredi González as third base coach. Matt Tuiasosopo, who had held the role, has agreed to be reassigned to the position of minor league infield coordinator.

González is back with the club he managed between 2011-16. They posted a .512 win percentage during that time, making consecutive playoff berths in 2012-13. They were en route to a last place finish in 2016 when González was fired in the middle of May. They promoted organizational staple Brian Snitker from Triple-A to take the job. Snitker has been there ever since and is behind only Hall of Famers Bobby Cox and Frank Selee (who managed the team at the turn of the 20th century when they were known as the Boston Beaneaters) on the franchise’s all-time win leaderboard.

Snitker and González are familiar with one another. Snitker served on the MLB staff as third base coach between 2011-13. Mark Bowman of MLB.com notes that the two longtime friends met last week while the Braves were playing in Philadelphia, though he adds that was not related to the job search. President of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos said the team didn’t seriously contemplate making the change until yesterday.

González has not managed since being fired by Atlanta. He spent a few seasons as third base coach in Miami before joining the Orioles’ staff in 2020. That included three seasons as bench coach until he was let go last winter. He makes his return to an MLB staff in place of Tuiasosopo, who spent a year-plus in the position after replacing Ron Washington.

The Braves have had four runners thrown out at home plate this season, including one on a particularly bad send in which Jarren Duran easily cut down Alex Verdugo on May 17. Atlanta also had a crucial ninth-inning miscue in a one-run loss to the Padres on May 23. Eli White was on second base and advanced towards third on a line drive single to center field. White misread a stop sign from Tuiasosopo and evidently believed he was signaling that the ball had been caught. He needlessly tried to scramble back to second base and was thrown out. It’s tough to fault Tuiasosopo for that one — White took responsibility postgame and called it “a bad read and misjudgment on my part” — but the situation magnified some of the team’s baserunning mistakes. The Braves will hope that González’s return helps reduce those.
Click to expand...

Source: https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025/06/braves-hire-fredi-gonzalez-as-third-base-coach.html
 
MLBTR Podcast: Jarren Duran Rumors, Caglianone And Young Promoted, And Pitching Injuries

The latest episode of the MLB Trade Rumors Podcast is now live on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you get your podcasts! Make sure you subscribe as well! You can also use the player at this link to listen, if you don’t use Spotify or Apple for podcasts.

This week, host Darragh McDonald is joined by Steve Adams of MLB Trade Rumors to discuss…


Plus, we answer your questions, including…

  • If the Diamondbacks can’t climb in the standings, what does their deadline look like? (48:45)
  • As a thought experiment, if the Orioles were willing to listen on Gunnar Henderson, what teams would even have the pieces to pull off a trade? (54:10)

Check out our past episodes!


The podcast intro and outro song “So Long” is provided courtesy of the band Showoff. Check out their Facebook page here!

Photo courtesy of Brett Davis, Imagn Images
Click to expand...

Source: https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025...and-young-promoted-and-pitching-injuries.html
 
Braves To Designate Scott Blewett For Assignment

The Braves are shaking up their bullpen after a heartbreaking loss. David O’Brien of The Athletic reports that the club is going to select right-hander Craig Kimbrel and recall left-hander Dylan Dodd. In corresponding moves, right-hander Daysbel Hernández will land on the 15-day injured list while righty Scott Blewett will be designated for assignment. The Kimbrel move was reported earlier today.

Blewett unfortunately lived up to his name today, leading to a deluge of social media jokes at his expense. Atlanta was leading this afternoon’s game against Arizona 9-3 through seven innings. Blewett was put into the game in the eight and allowed one run, making it 9-4. Atlanta got that run back in the bottom of the eighth, making it 10-4. Blewett was sent back out for the ninth with a six-run lead to protect and three outs to get. He struck out the first batter he faced but the next four reached. With the score having narrowed to 10-7, Atlanta went to closer Raisel Iglesias to get the final two outs. Unfortunately, he allowed Arizona to take an 11-10 lead before getting out of the inning. Atlanta couldn’t score in the bottom of the ninth to stay alive.

It was a heartbreaking loss in what has already been a rough stretch for the club. It was their fourth straight L and they are now 3-11 in their past 14 contests. Their overall record is 27-34, putting them behind all the other National League contenders in the standings. Blewett was charged with five earned runs in an inning and a third in today’s dagger.

Blewett, 29, is out of options. That’s led him to bounce around the league. He started the season with the Twins on a minor league deal and was added to that club’s roster for a few days in April before getting designated for assignment. He was then claimed off waivers by the Orioles, though that club also designated him for assignment a few days later. That led him to Atlanta on a cash deal.

He had a pretty decent run prior to today’s unpleasantness. Between those three clubs, he came into today with 24 innings and a 2.25 earned run average. His 22.8% strikeout rate and 8.9% walk rate were both around league average while his 58.5% ground ball rate was quite strong. The ERA climbed to 3.91 after today’s game but it’s been a solid season overall.

But since he’s out of options and the club is looking to shake things up by adding Kimbrel, a 40-man roster spot was needed, so Blewett heads into DFA limbo. That can last as long as a week but the waiver process takes 48 hours, meaning Atlanta could take as long as five days to explore trade interest. Though he’s out of options, he’s still in his pre-arbitration seasons, meaning he’s cheap. As mentioned, he’s been having a good year, today’s results notwithstanding.

As for Hernández, it’s unclear exactly what his injury is but he departed yesterday’s game and appeared to be in discomfort. More information should be revealed when he is officially placed on the injured list.

Photo courtesy of Dale Zanine, Imagn Images
Click to expand...

Source: https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025/06/braves-to-designate-scott-blewett-for-assignment.html
 
Orioles Acquire Scott Blewett

The Orioles announced that they have acquired right-hander Scott Blewett from the Braves in exchange for cash considerations. Outfielder Jordyn Adams has been designated for assignment to open a 40-man spot. Fellow outfielder Ramón Laureano has been reinstated from the 10-day injured list and takes the active roster spot vacated by Adams. Blewett has not yet reported to the team and is therefore not on the active roster yet, so a spot will have to be opened for him when he does link up with the O’s.

It was reported yesterday that Atlanta was going to designate Blewett for assignment but it seems they lined up a trade before even getting around to that DFA. Blewett played a key role in yesterday’s heartbreaking loss in Atlanta. He entered the game in the top of the eighth, with Atlanta leading 9-3. He got through that inning while allowing one run, but Atlanta got that back in the bottom of the eighth. That left them with a 10-4 leading starting the ninth. Blewett stayed in and retired the first batter of that inning but the next four reached. Closer Raisel Iglesias was drawn into the 10-7 game and it quickly became 11-10 for the Diamondbacks.

Blewett was charged with five earned runs in an inning and a third. The sting of the loss seems to have prompted a bit of a shakeup, with Atlanta calling up Craig Kimbrel from the minors. That bumped Blewett off the roster but he’s actually been having a pretty decent season on the whole.

Even including yesterday’s unpleasantness, Blewett has a passable 3.91 earned run average in 2025. His 21.8% strikeout rate and 10% walk rate are close to average while his 56.3% ground ball rate is quite strong.

Blewett is out of options but is clearly valued around the league, as he keeps passing from club to club. He started this year with the Twins on a minor league deal. He was called up in April but designated for assignment a few days later. He was claimed by the Orioles but received another DFA a few days after that. He was sent to Atlanta in a cash deal, which led to him holding a roster spot for more than a month, though he’s now on the move again.

Adams, 25, signed a minor league deal with the O’s in the offseason. He was called up to the big leagues a week ago as the O’s were dealing with a number of position player injuries. He’s essentially been used as a defensive replacement since then, getting into five games but only making one plate appearance.

A former first-round pick of the Angels, Adams is considered an excellent athlete but he hasn’t been able to handle pitching since reaching the higher minor league levels. Dating back to the start of 2021, he has stepped to the plate almost 2,000 times on the farm with a .247/.326/.377 line and 84 wRC+. He has enough speed to steal 20 to 40 bases annually and run balls down in the outfield.

He’ll now head into DFA limbo, which can last as long as a week. The waiver process takes 48 hours, so the O’s could take as long as five days to explore trade interest. He does have one option year remaining.

Photo courtesy of Dale Zanine, Imagn Images
Click to expand...

Source: https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025/06/orioles-acquire-scott-blewett.html
 
Brian Snitker Discusses Raisel Iglesias, Closer Role

The Braves are making some changes in the ninth inning, as manager Brian Snitker told reporters (including MLB.com’s Mark Bowman) yesterday. While incumbent closer Raisel Iglesias “may close games” going forward, he won’t “necessarily” be the team’s primary closing option moving forward. Snitker did not name a new primary closer, leaving the door open to a committee approach to the ninth inning.

It would have been unthinkable just a few months ago that Iglesias could be anything other than the surefire closer in Atlanta. The right-hander put together a season for the ages in 2024, when he pitched to a 1.95 ERA in 69 1/3 innings of work while striking out 26.3% of his opponents and walking just 5.0%. It was an elite season even by the standards of the veteran righty, who had fashioned himself into one of the league’s most reliable relief arms since the start of the decade with a 2.44 ERA and 2.71 FIP in 278 appearances from 2020-24.

That’s all come crashing down this year, however, as Iglesias simply hasn’t looked like himself in his age-35 campaign. In 24 innings of work this year, Iglesias has surrendered a 6.75 ERA with a 5.65 FIP. While his 23.1% strikeout rate and 5.6% walk rate are more or less in line with last year’s numbers, he’s watched an eye-popping seven home runs leave the yard already this year. That’s already tied his high-water mark in a Braves uniform. At least some of his struggles can be attributed to poor luck; 21.9% of Iglesias’s fly balls have left the yard, and that’s simply not a sustainable rate even with an inflated 14.5% barrel rate. Even as his fastball velocity has lost a tick this year, the veteran’s 3.26 SIERA remains strong. It’s not at all difficult to imagine the talented righty turning things around moving forward.

Even so, the fact that the Braves felt a change was needed shows what dire straits the club finds itself in. Atlanta started off with a brutal 0-7 start to the season but actually managed to fight its way back over .500 and into the NL Wild Card conversation last month. Unfortunately, since that return to relevance the club has lost its first six games of June. That losing streak is part of a larger stretch where the Braves have won just 3 of their last 16 contests. It’s left them with a brutal 27-36 record that puts the team nine games back in the Wild Card race and 12.5 games out of the NL East. That’s the sort of deficit that can be difficult to bounce back from, even for an organization that is as talented (at least on paper) as Atlanta.

As the club tries to work its way back into relevance for the second time this year, they’ve decided to pull the plug on Iglesias in their effort to find a spark. If moving out of the ninth inning for a while can help Iglesias recapture his dominant form from previous years, that could help the Braves even if they don’t end up returning to contention as Iglesias (alongside DH Marcell Ozuna) is one of the team’s few pending free agents. If the club ends up selling at the deadline, they’ll surely want Iglesias looking as good as possible in the weeks leading up to a deal to maximize his trade value.

If there’s a silver lining for Iglesias’s odds of recapturing the closer role at some point this year, it’s that no one else seems primed to step up and take it for themselves so far. In the two games Atlanta has played since Snitker’s announcement, Pierce Johnson was the final pitcher to take the mound for the club. He was tagged with the loss in both outings, including a blown save opportunity earlier this evening. Johnson still has a decent 3.86 ERA in 26 appearances this year with 16 career saves (including one this season) under his belt, but he hardly seems especially close to locking down the ninth inning. Johnson and perhaps Iglesias can continue to get opportunities, while southpaws Dylan Lee and Aaron Bummer could also get turns in the ninth inning given their solid results this year and late-inning experience.
Click to expand...

Source: https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025/06/brian-snitker-discusses-raisel-iglesias-closer-role.html
 
Braves Claim Jose Ruiz From Phillies

The Braves announced that right-hander Jose Ruiz has been claimed off the Phillies’ waiver wire. Atlanta has yet to announce a corresponding move for the 26-man roster, and a 40-man move doesn’t need to be made since the Braves only had 39 players on their 40-man roster.

Philadelphia designated Ruiz for assignment last week, after the righty posted an 8.16 ERA in 14 1/3 relief innings this season. A 4.11 SIERA paints a better picture of Ruiz’s quality, as a .383 BABIP and a 57% strand rate contributed to that inflated ERA. Still, Ruiz didn’t help his cause by allowing a lot of hard contact, and striking out only 17.6% of batters. He also spent just under three weeks on the injured list in May due to neck spasms, and he was charged with seven earned runs (over three innings) over his three appearances after returning from the IL.

Ruiz has pitched in parts of the last nine Major League seasons, amassing a 4.55 ERA in 284 2/3 innings with four different teams (primarily the White Sox from 2018-23). Inconsistency has marked Ruiz’s career, though he has been a solid bullpen piece during his better seasons — a 3.05 ERA over 65 innings for the AL Central champion White Sox in 2021, and a 3.71 ERA over 51 frames for the Phillies just last year. Ruiz has always been a hard thrower, but his 95.7mph fastball this season is down a mile from the 96.7mph average he posted prior to 2025.

While the results haven’t been there this season, the Braves saw enough in Ruiz to put in a claim, and absorb the 30-year-old’s remaining 2025 salary (roughly $765.6K of a $1.225MM salary). It isn’t a huge figure, and it’s enough for the Braves to take a flier on Ruiz and add him to the long list of pitchers cycled through the back of Atlanta’s struggling bullpen.
Click to expand...

Source: https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025/06/braves-claim-jose-ruiz-from-phillies.html
 
Craig Kimbrel Elects Free Agency

TODAY: Kimbrel cleared waivers, and the Braves announced that Kimbrel elected free agency rather than accept an outright assignment to Triple-A.

JUNE 7: Craig Kimbrel’s return to the Braves lasted just one day, as the club announced today that the veteran reliever has been designated for assignment. Left-hander Austin Cox was recalled from Triple-A Gwinnett to take Kimbrel’s place on the active roster.

Kimbrel signed a minors contract in March, providing a full-circle moment in rejoining his original organization. The story reached a pinnacle when Atlanta selected Kimbrel’s contract to the active roster yesterday, and he posted a scoreless inning in the Braves’ 5-4 loss to the Giants. It was an eventful inning, as Kimbrel allowed a hit to Heliot Ramos and a walk to Jung Hoo Lee, but Ramos was caught stealing and Kimbrel picked Lee off first base to emerge unscathed.

While it may surprise fans to see a prominent name like Kimbrel so quickly shuffled off the roster (and after a scoreless frame, no less), today’s move may reflect the reality of where the 37-year-old is at during this stage of his career. Kimbrel is, after all, coming off a rough 2024 campaign that saw him released by the Orioles in September after posting a 5.33 ERA in 52 1/3 innings. Kimbrel had a 3.10 ERA and two All-Star nods over 188 2/3 innings during the 2021-23 seasons, but he seemed to lose his effectiveness in the later stages of those three seasons or into the postseason.

That said, it isn’t as though Kimbrel doesn’t have anything left in the tank for his 16th Major League season. He posted a 2.00 ERA over 18 combined innings with Double-A Columbus and Triple-A Gwinnett, with a 32.86% strikeout rate in that small sample size but also a 12.86% walk rate. Control has been a question mark for Kimbrel even in some of his best big league seasons, but a spike in his home run rate in recent years has contributed to his struggles.

Kimbrel’s minors deal with the Braves had a distinctive “rolling opt-out” clause that would’ve allowed Kimbrel to exit the deal at any point if another team offered him a spot on their Major League roster. News of this clause surfaced only a few days before Atlanta selected Kimbrel to its active roster, but obviously none of other 29 clubs felt compelled to try and lure the right-hander away beforehand. Kimbrel’s minor league contract called for a prorated $2MM salary if he was called up the active roster, so (as per The Athletic’s Dave O’Brien) the Braves will now be on the hook for roughly $25K, counting Kimbrel’s day on the active roster and however long his DFA period may last.

While Kimbrel has more than enough MLB service time to reject an outright assignment and re-enter free agency, it is possible he might accept an outright to stay with Atlanta. Staying in a familiar organization might hold more appeal for Kimbrel than re-entering the market after his long stay in free agency last winter, plus the Braves’ ever-revolving bullpen could mean that Kimbrel may get another look in the majors in relatively short order. It all depends on what Kimbrel wants to do at this point of his career, though it doesn’t appear as if retirement is in the cards.
Click to expand...

Source: https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025/06/braves-designate-craig-kimbrel-for-assignment.html
 
AJ Smith-Shawver Undergoes Tommy John Surgery

The Braves announced Monday that right-hander AJ Smith-Shawver underwent Tommy John surgery this morning. He’ll miss the remainder of the 2025 season and a good portion of the 2026 season as well, though an exact timetable will hinge on how his recovery proceeds. Generally, it’s best to assume an absence of at least 14 months, but every rehab varies.

Smith-Shawver’s injury puts an early end to what was originally looking like a terrific rookie campaign. Though he’d pitched in the majors in both 2023 and 2024, the 22-year-old righty narrowly retained that rookie status heading into this season. He stormed out of the gate with a 2.33 ERA, 24.8% strikeout rate and 10.6% walk rate in his first 38 2/3 innings, holding opponents to two or fewer runs in six of his first seven starts.

The Nationals shelled Smith-Shawver for seven runs in three innings on May 22, however, and he departed his next start on May 29 with an injury after just 2 2/3 innings. It’s never encouraging when a pitcher departs due to elbow discomfort, and all signs in the immediate aftermath proved increasingly ominous. Smith-Shawver told reporters after the game that he’d felt a “pop” in his elbow. He was placed on the 15-day IL with a strain the same day but transferred to the 60-day IL just 18 hours later. Barely 24 hours after he’d exited with a trainer, the Braves announced that Smith-Shawver had been diagnosed with a torn ulnar collateral ligament.

With Smith-Shawver joining Reynaldo Lopez on the shelf — Lopez had arthroscopic shoulder surgery in April but could potentially return late in the year — Atlanta’s pitching depth is increasingly stretched. They currently have Chris Sale, Spencer Strider, Spencer Schwellenbach, Grant Holmes and Bryce Elder in the rotation. That’s a solid group on paper, but Strider hasn’t looked at all like himself in his first few games back from his own UCL repair.

The depth beyond that current quintet is a bit suspect. Davis Daniel and Nathan Wiles both have solid numbers with Triple-A Gwinnett and are on the 40-man roster, but they’re both relatively soft-tossing righties who were acquired in minor offseason swaps — Wiles for cash this past spring and Daniel for recent 14th-round pick Mitch Farris (after Daniel had been designated for assignment by the Angels). Hurston Waldrep, the Braves’ 2023 first-rounder and a former top prospect, has had a disastrous season in Gwinnett. Non-roster depth arms like Ian Anderson, Zach Thompson and Jose Suarez have all already cleared waivers this season and struggled to varying levels in Gwinnett. Suarez recently landed on the minor league injured list as well.

Looking longer term, Smith-Shawver will accrue major league service time and pay while he rehabs from this morning’s surgery. He’ll finish out the season with more than a year of service time but won’t be on track for Super Two status in arbitration. It’s also notable that because he was only in the minors for 16 days earlier this year when Atlanta sent him down, he won’t exhaust what would have been his final option year if he’d been sent down later in the season. He’ll retain one more minor league option year. Smith-Shawver will be on pace for arbitration eligibility in the 2027-28 offseason and for free agency in the 2030-31 offseason (though that remaining minor league option could impact either trajectory).
Click to expand...

Source: https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025/06/braves-aj-smith-shawver-tommy-john-sirgery.html
 
James McCann’s Braves Deal Contains Rolling Opt-Out Clause

Catcher James McCann signed a minor league deal with Atlanta and has spent most of the year playing for Triple-A Gwinnett. Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports that the deal contains a rolling opt-out clause. Similar to Craig Kimbrel’s earlier deal with Atlanta, this means that any club can offer McCann a big league job at any time. If one does, Atlanta would have decide to call him up or let the other club have him.

“The big thing is that rolling opt-out,” McCann said to Rosenthal. “That was part of our agreement with the Braves, knowing their situation and knowing the potential of being blocked to the big leagues there. They respected the 10 years that I’ve accrued in service time and gave me the opportunity to opt out, similar to (Craig) Kimbrel.”

As McCann alluded to, he doesn’t have a great path to playing time in Atlanta. They have Sean Murphy and Drake Baldwin sharing the catching duties at the big league level this year. Murphy is having a nice bounceback season, all things considered. He was injured a lot in 2024 and struggled when in the lineup. This year, his 30.6% strikeout rate is a concern but he has nine home runs and a 10.2% walk rate. His .222/.325/.459 line translates to a 118 wRC+, with solid defense to boot. He’s also under contract for three more years after this one, guaranteed $15MM annually.

Baldwin is just a rookie but is having a great season. His 7.3% walk rate is a bit low but he has seven home runs and is only striking out at a 15.3% clip. His .291/.343/.488 line translates to a 132 wRC+. His defensive grades are also solid. The club also has Jason Delay on the 40-man roster as a depth guy with options remaining.

That makes the opt-out clause a sensible one for McCann, who has been doing his best to earn another major league opportunity. He has stepped to the plate 138 times for Gwinnett this year with a .281/.319/.484 line and 110 wRC+. He’s getting a bit of help from a .333 batting average on balls in play but has launched six homers already this year.

McCann has been an effective big leaguer at times but has struggled in more recent seasons. He hit .276/.334/.474 for a 114 wRC+ over 2019 and 2020. He also got some competent grades for his glovework in that time, allowing him to tally 3.4 wins above replacement in 149 games, per the calculations of FanGraphs.

That got him a four-year, $40.6MM deal with the Mets but he couldn’t maintain that level of production over the course of that contract. Traded to the Orioles halfway through, he hit .224/.279/.352 over the four seasons of that pact, leading to a 77 wRC+.

After that performance, he had to settle for a minor league deal. He has been performing well so far this year but it seems no club has been compelled to give him a major league job yet. He’ll have to keep plugging away and hope that some club finds a use for him at some point. It’s theoretically possible that could come in Atlanta. With the club falling back in the standing and Baldwin performing well, they might try to trade Murphy this summer. Or an injury could arise for one of those two, though that’s also possible of all the other catchers in the majors.

Photo courtesy of Isaiah J. Downing, Imagn Images
Click to expand...

Source: https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025...ves-deal-contains-rolling-opt-out-clause.html
 
MLBTR Podcast: White Sox Ownership, Roman Anthony, And The Diamondbacks’ Rotation

The latest episode of the MLB Trade Rumors Podcast is now live on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you get your podcasts! Make sure you subscribe as well! You can also use the player at this link to listen, if you don’t use Spotify or Apple for podcasts.

This week, host Darragh McDonald is joined by Steve Adams of MLB Trade Rumors to discuss…


Plus, we answer your questions, including…

  • Do the Mariners need a left-hander in the rotation? (40:45)
  • What will the Braves do with the rest of the season and would they trade Chris Sale? (45:30)
  • With the Mets seemingly having too many young infielders, who stays and who goes? (53:35)

Check out our past episodes!


The podcast intro and outro song “So Long” is provided courtesy of the band Showoff. Check out their Facebook page here!

Photo courtesy of Kamil Krzaczynski, Imagn Images
Click to expand...

Source: https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025...an-anthony-and-the-diamondbacks-rotation.html
 
Braves Select Craig Kimbrel

June 6th: Atlanta made it official today, announcing they have selected Kimbrel’s contract. They also recalled lefty Dylan Dodd, placed right-hander Daysbel Hernandez on the 15-day injured list with forearm inflammation and traded righty Scott Blewett to the Orioles.

June 5th: The Braves are planning to select the contract of right-hander Craig Kimbrel from Triple-A Gwinnett, reports Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. The full-circle promotion of the now-37-year-old former Atlanta closer, who’s been pitching well on a minor league deal in Gwinnett, comes less than an hour after the Braves’ bullpen melted down and squandered a six-run ninth-inning lead in an 11-10 loss to the Diamondbacks.

Kimbrel, of course, broke into the majors with Atlanta late in the 2010 season and immediately catapulted himself into stardom. He was the unanimous NL Rookie of the Year in 2011 — winning over teammate Freddie Freeman — after posting a 2.10 ERA with an NL-best 46 saves and a colossal 41.5% strikeout rate. He made the first of four straight All-Star teams that year — a remarkable run of four straight seasons that saw him lead the Senior Circuit in saves while garnering repeated Cy Young and MVP votes. From 2010-14, Kimbrel posted a comedic 1.43 ERA and 42.2% strikeout rate while racking up 186 saves. It’s arguably the best five-year from any reliever in the sport’s history.

Kimbrel has never quite recaptured that dominance, though he was still excellent from 2015-18 before running into some rough patches. He logged ERAs north of 5.00 in 2019-20 before bouncing back with a solid if tumultuous 2021-23 stint where he was often shakier than his surface-level numbers might initially suggest. His 2024 run with the Orioles started well — Kimbrel carried a 2.10 ERA into the All-Star break — but went off the rails in the season’s second half. From July 14 onward, Kimbrel was shredded for an 11.50 ERA in 18 innings before being released.

Now back in the Braves organization after signing a minor league deal, he’s looked terrific in Triple-A. Kimbrel carries flat 2.00 ERA in 18 innings. He’s set 33% of his opponents down on strikes, albeit against a 13% walk rate. He’s also working with a fastball that’s now sitting just 93.2 mph — nowhere near the sizzling 97-98 mph he averaged at his peak. Even as recently as 2023 with the Phillies, Kimbrel’s heater sat at 95.8 mph, but he’s now dropped nearly three ticks off that velocity.

Time will tell whether Kimbrel can get big league hitters out with such diminished power on his pitches and with command that’s clearly not up to par, but the bar to clear in Atlanta is low right now. Closer Raisel Iglesias saw his ERA balloon from 5.79 to 6.75 today. Scott Blewett, who’s been designated for assignment to make room on the roster for Kimbrel, yielded five runs on his way out the door. Daysbel Hernandez has a 2.22 ERA but has walked more than 19% of his opponents, so there’s no way he can continue at that pace. Trade acquisition Rafael Montero has a 5.29 ERA in 17 innings.

Atlanta has gotten good to great results from Pierce Johnson, Aaron Bummer, Enyel De Los Santos and Dylan Lee, but Iglesias has floundered all season and the final couple spots in the ’pen have been a revolving door. The hope will be that Kimbrel can help to solidify things, but recent seasons have shown that he’s susceptible to lengthy slumps not all that dissimilar from the one in which Iglesias is currently mired.
Click to expand...

Source: https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025/06/braves-to-select-craig-kimbrel.html
 
Poll: What Will Atlanta’s Deadline Look Like?

It was a tough start to the season in Atlanta, as they lost their first seven games in a row and 13 of their first 18 games. Brutal as that start to the season was, the club managed to turn things around in the latter weeks of April, and as recently as May 19 things were looking good. The Braves were 24-23, leaving them on the periphery of the Wild Card conversation, Spencer Strider was finally back from the injured list, and Ronald Acuna Jr. was just days away from his own return. Unfortunately, they’ve gone just 3-11 since then. That leaves them in fourth place in the NL East with a 27-34 record and 6.5 games out of the final NL Wild Card spot, with six teams they’d need to bypass in the standings in order to make it to the postseason.

Impressive and well-constructed as the team may look on paper, the group simply hasn’t been getting the job done in practice. Strider has pitched poorly (6.43 ERA, 6.93 FIP) in three starts since returning. AJ Smith-Shawver is done for the season after suffering a torn UCL. Ozzie Albies and Michael Harris II aren’t hitting. No qualified reliever in baseball has allowed more home runs than closer Raisel Iglesias. It’s impossible to know what they can expect to get out of Jurickson Profar when he returns from his PED suspension, and even if he plays well he won’t be eligible for the postseason.

Taken together, it’s hard not to see Atlanta as a team that has simply fallen too far behind the pack to justify continuing to push their chips in for the postseason. The good news is that, if they do decide to sell, they’ll have plenty of interesting pieces to move. Iglesias has had a rough year, but still boasts 232 saves and an ERA below 3.00 for his career. Marcell Ozuna has been one of the league’s top designated hitters for three straight seasons now, with a 148 wRC+ stretching back to 2023 that’s top-ten in baseball among hitters with at least 1,000 plate appearances in that time. Perhaps Alex Verdugo can be of interest to a team in need of outfield help, even in the midst of a down season (79 wRC+). Ozuna would immediately become the best hitter available this summer if dangled, and even in spite of his home run woes teams will be hard pressed to find a more decorated reliever than Iglesias to close out games for them.

If the Braves were to decide to sell, would they stop at rental pieces or consider dealing longer-term assets as well? They hold a team option on the services of veteran ace Chris Sale, but the reigning NL Cy Young winner would immediately become the most valuable asset on the market if president of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos decided to dangle him. A $7MM team option for 2026 would make right-hander Pierce Johnson an attractive multi-year asset on the market as well. And with Drake Baldwin making his case to be NL Rookie of the Year, it’s not impossible to imagine Atlanta listening to offers on Sean Murphy and shedding the $45MM in guaranteed dollars remaining on his deal for his age 31-33 seasons. In a summer that looks like there may not be much impact talent available, there’s plenty of upside to be found in selling aggressively while the majority of the league is scrambling to improve ahead of the stretch run.

As much sense as it might seem to make for the Braves to listen on some of their top short-term pieces, it must be remembered that Anthopoulos and his front office aren’t afraid to zig when the rest of the league zags. Just a few years ago, Atlanta entered the All-Star break with a sub-.500 club that had just lost Acuna to a season-ending injury. It would’ve been understandable if they decided to sell, with Freddie Freeman, Chris Martin, Dansby Swanson, and Charlie Morton among the short-term assets they had in the fold at that point who could have brought back massive returns. Rather than entertain that option, the club added Joc Pederson, Jorge Soler, Adam Duvall, and Eddie Rosario to their beleaguered outfield and stayed the course. A few months later, they hoisted the Commissioner’s Trophy after beating the Astros in the World Series.

It shouldn’t shock anyone if club brass decides to stay the course once again this year in hopes of a similar Cinderella run. After all, the talent on Atlanta’s roster is enviable; all the same reasons that pieces like Iglesias and Ozuna would be attractive to rival organizations are reasons the Braves may simply prefer to try to win while they’re still in the fold rather than bank on figuring things out without them in the future, and that goes double for longer-term pieces like Sale and Murphy. Perhaps Strider will improve as he shakes off the rust from his long rehab, and Acuna has wasted no time thrusting himself back into the conversation as one of the league’s premier stars. With the 2023 NL MVP’s time under team control set to last only three more seasons after this one, it’s far to wonder if the Braves would really sacrifice one of those seasons by selling at the deadline.

How do MLBTR readers think Atlanta will approach the deadline this summer? Will they push their chips in and buy despite long odds, like they did in 2021? Will they do some light selling, casting off rental players in hopes of restocking in 2026? Or will they listen to offers on a wider range of players? Have your say in the poll below:

Take Our Poll
Click to expand...

Source: https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025/06/poll-what-will-atlantas-deadline-look-like.html
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top