The Braves have already punched their ticket to October, but that doesn’t erase the questions hanging over this roster. After 154 regular season games, Atlanta’s flaws are hard to miss, and the offseason is going to force some uncomfortable decisions about players who are already under contract for next year.
Three names stand out as obvious trade candidates: Austin Riley, Reynaldo Lopez and Spencer Strider.
Riley’s 2026 season has been a rough one, and that’s putting it mildly. The third baseman has been the biggest disappointment on the roster, following two straight mediocre years with what has been arguably the worst season of his career.
He has an 80 OPS+ in 151 games, and the concern only grows when you factor in the length of his deal. Riley is under contract through 2032, which makes moving him difficult, but also gives Atlanta a real reason to explore it.
If the Braves can find a way to swap bad contracts with another team, that may be the cleanest path forward.
Lopez’s case is different, but the conclusion lands in the same place. He has not come close to recapturing his 2024 form, and injuries have piled up along the way.
This season has featured inconsistent velocity, too little swing-and-miss and a 4.38 FIP. Atlanta might have been done with him after 2026 if the contract had not been reworked a couple of years ago, but that is where things stand now.
If a rebuilding club wants to take a shot on one year of Lopez in 2027, the Braves should be ready to make that move. The rotation still has questions, but the last two seasons have made one thing clear: Lopez is not the answer.
Strider is the hardest name to put in this conversation, because he means a lot to the organization and the fan base. Still, the possibility has to be considered.
He was already having trouble before right elbow inflammation ended his season in early June, and he no longer looks like the same pitcher. Atlanta has shown some willingness to think about moving him, too, with a reported Jacob deGrom trade proposal earlier this season involving Strider.
He is owed $22 million in each of the next two seasons, and if the Braves don’t believe he can help them in 2027, they may have to decide to move on however they can.
In Other News...
Braves Just Got The Rotation Boost They Needed For October
Tyler Mahle gave the Braves exactly the kind of lift they were looking for in a September stretch that is starting to feel like October already. In a 6-2 win over the Astros, the right-hander worked six innings and allowed just one run and three hits, keeping Atlanta in control while the club locked up a postseason berth.
Mahle has settled in quickly since coming over from the Giants, and the timing could not be better for a team still chasing bigger goals. Atlanta leads the National League East and can still clinch the division with games left to play, which makes the current rotation picture even more important as the Braves try to line up their best arms for the stretch run. [Read more 🡒]
Braves Are Back In October But One Bigger Goal Still Awaits
The Braves are back in the postseason after a 6-2 win over the Astros, a result that clinched their spot in the 2026 playoffs and sent them back to October after last years absence. It is their eighth trip to the postseason in nine years, another reminder of how often this core has kept Atlanta in the national conversation, with Ronald Acua Jr. providing the game-winning home run and a key catch and Matt Olson reaching the 40-homer mark on the night.
Even with the playoff berth secured, the bigger issue now is what comes next for a club that has made October feel routine again. The Braves have proven they can get there, but this stretch of consistency only raises the standard, and the real test is whether this return to the bracket can lead to something deeper than simply another appearance. [Read more 🡒]
Braves Still Have One Big Bullpen Question Before October
Robert Suarez is closing in on a return, and the next stop is expected to be a Minor League rehab appearance for Triple-A Gwinnett, his first game action since June 19. Suarez has been sidelined by right elbow inflammation, and Braves manager Walt Weiss said the right-handers progress has been positive as the club continues to monitor how he responds once he gets back on the mound.
For Atlanta, the timing matters because October is coming fast and the bullpen picture is still not fully settled. Weiss did not say whether Suarez will get into the major league relief mix before the postseason, leaving the Braves to weigh how best to bring him back and whether his first real impact with the team could come in the playoffs. [Read more 🡒]