The Braves don’t usually go looking for a way to absorb someone else’s problem contract. That’s not how this front office tends to operate, even with Atlanta carrying one of the higher payrolls in baseball. But this offseason could present a strange opening, and it would involve a player Atlanta would probably love to move on from anyway.
The name at the center of it is Teoscar Hernández, whom the Dodgers would likely be eager to shop after the final out of the 2026 season. Los Angeles might have a hard time finding much of a market for the corner outfielder, even though he’s still a serviceable hitter. Over the last two years, Hernández has hit .256/.308/.441 with a 106 OPS+.
The problem is the other side of the ball. Hernández has been one of the worst defensive players by Fielding Run Value over that same span, and that defensive drag, along with prospects waiting in the wings, has the Dodgers looking for an escape hatch from the remaining $23.8 million guaranteed on his deal between the final year of the contract and the buyout for his team option.
Under normal circumstances, that would be enough to keep Atlanta away. But the Braves have their own financial headache in Jurickson Profar, and that changes the math.
Profar is still owed $15 million in 2027, and Atlanta has no interest in running him back after what has gone wrong there. In the source’s words, he has “burned the bridge with the Braves, and then hammered away the scaffolding the following year,” and the club would rather send “the biggest free agent disappointment in Braves history” somewhere else than see him in a Braves uniform again.
That opens the door to a bad-contract swap that at least makes some sense on paper. The Dodgers likely would not want to play Profar either, but they could value the more than $8 million in savings if Atlanta took Hernández off their hands, especially if the Braves also sent a prospect or two with him.
There is precedent for this kind of move in the Anthopoulos Era. One of the first trades he ever made sent Matt Kemp back to Los Angeles, with Atlanta taking on the contracts of Brandon McCarthy, Scott Kazmir, and Adrian Gonzalez. Kazmir and Gonzalez never played a game for the Braves, and the biggest contributor from that deal turned out to be utility man Charlie Culberson.
It would still carry risk for Atlanta. The Braves would have to give up at least one prospect, and there’s always the chance Hernández’s bat slips further. But if the alternative is dead money tied up in Profar, turning that contract into something usable could be worth the gamble.
In Other News...
Braves Have A Shortstop Decision That Could Bring Back A Familiar Fit
Mauricio Dubn became a useful late-season answer for the Braves after arriving from Houston in the Nick Allen trade, giving Atlanta the kind of defensive versatility teams always seem to value when the stretch run gets tight. The two-time Gold Glove winner fit a need almost immediately, shuffling around the infield before settling in as the starting shortstop down the stretch and bringing a steady glove to a position the Braves have been sorting through.
Now the question is whether that short-term solution turns into something longer. Dubns defense and clubhouse value have given Atlanta reason to think about keeping him around, and there is at least some sense that a reunion could make sense if the price is right. For a Braves team that likes flexibility and reliability, the offseason decision at shortstop could end up being about more than just filling one spot on the lineup card. [Read more 🡒]
Braves Face A Costly Mauricio Dubon Decision They May Not Like
Mauricio Dubon has put the Braves in a familiar offseason spot, weighing fit against cost at a position where stability matters. His versatility has value across the roster, but Atlantas interest appears tied to a more specific need as the club looks ahead and tries to sort out its infield plans.
The complication is that the market rarely prices a player like Dubon as a simple utility piece, especially when teams see a dependable defender who can move around the diamond. For the Braves, the question is whether they can keep him in the fold without bidding against a free-agent market that may treat him as something more than an extra glove. [Read more 🡒]
Braves Could Lose A Rising Front Office Piece To Houston
The Astros search for a new general manager has put a familiar Braves name on the radar, with Houston considering several front office candidates as it looks to reshape the top of its baseball operation. One of those names is Ben Sestanovich, Atlantas assistant general manager, a rising executive who has drawn outside interest as the Astros continue sorting through their options alongside other candidates such as Matt Kleine, Josh Barfield and Randy Flores.
There is also a separate move in Houstons baseball department that could matter for how the rest of the front office takes shape. The Astros are bringing in Spencer Medick as director of pitching, giving the organization another piece focused on development as it works through this transition. For the Braves, the bigger question is whether Sestanovich stays in place or becomes the latest young executive to get pulled into a larger opportunity elsewhere. [Read more 🡒]