The Braves apparently kicked around a bold name at the deadline: Spencer Strider.
According to MLB.com’s Mark Bowman and Mark Feinsand, Atlanta explored the idea of moving Strider as part of a possible Jacob deGrom deal, with the Braves trying to balance out the salaries involved. Bowman’s report surfaced on deadline day, when the whole market was moving fast and plenty of details got buried in the noise.
The Rangers, though, didn’t bite. Bowman wrote that “the Rangers didn’t show initial interest, possibly because of the uncertainty surrounding Strider’s arm.”
That uncertainty is hard to ignore. Strider has been on the injured list since June 17 because of elbow inflammation, his season is believed to be over, and he only began a throwing progression about a month ago.
It’s the latest arm issue in a career already marked by major procedures, including Tommy John surgery in 2019 and an internal brace procedure that wiped out almost all of his 2024 season.
The money side of a deGrom-Strider framework is messy, too. deGrom is due the rest of his $38MM salary in 2026, $37MM in 2027, and the Rangers have a club option worth at least $20MM. That figure rises to $30MM if deGrom finishes top five in Cy Young voting in 2026 or 2027, or if he reaches 625 innings pitched from 2023-27. Strider, meanwhile, is owed the rest of his $20MM salary for 2026, then $22MM in both 2027 and 2028, and Atlanta holds a $22MM club option for 2029 with a $5MM buyout.
If that had been the entire framework, Texas would have been taking on more guaranteed money, but also landing a much younger arm with more team control. The catch is obvious: Strider’s age comes with a heavy medical asterisk, not just because of the elbow, but because of the hamstring and oblique strains that have also cost him time over the past two seasons.
None of that means the Braves are suddenly shopping Strider in a broad sense. Alex Anthopoulos has a reputation for creative trade ideas, and front offices will kick around plenty of names just to do their homework. Still, the fact that Strider was put on the table for a pitcher of deGrom’s caliber says Atlanta wasn’t simply trying to shed salary, and it also suggests the Braves are not moving him for just anybody.
At the same time, Strider’s standing has changed. After three uneven years, he no longer looks like an untouchable rotation anchor.
His breakout 2022 rookie season earned him a six-year, $75MM extension that October, and he backed that up with a strong 2023 that ended with a fourth-place finish in NL Cy Young voting. But over the last three seasons, he’s posted a 4.78 ERA, a 25.3% strikeout rate, and a 10.2% walk rate in 173 1/3 innings.
He still won’t turn 28 until October, so there’s plenty of time for a turnaround if the health cooperates. If he were wearing a different uniform, he’d fit the kind of bounce-back profile Anthopoulos has chased before.
For now, the elbow issue may shut down any trade talk anyway. Or the Braves could simply wait, hope Strider comes back in 2027, and see whether a healthier version either rebuilds his value or reclaims his place in their plans.
In Other News...
Braves Add Catching Depth As Their October Plan Gets More Interesting
The Braves added a familiar type of late-season insurance on Sept. 1, signing catcher Eric Haase to a minor league contract and sending him to their Florida complex. It is the kind of move contending clubs often make when the calendar flips into September, especially with postseason roster flexibility in play and every position on the bench carrying a little more weight.
Haase gives Atlanta another experienced option behind the plate and a bat with some pop, even if his profile has long come with plenty of swing-and-miss. He has already been with three organizations this season, including the Giants and White Sox, while the Braves still appear set to lean on Drake Baldwin and Sean Murphy as their catching duo for now, leaving Haase as a depth piece who could become more relevant if the October picture shifts. [Read more 🡒]
Braves Outfield Uncertainty May Not Last As New Internal Options Emerge
The Braves outfield picture has been murky enough that it has become one of the easier roster questions to circle on the calendar. Between the players already under contract and the free agents in the mix, the short-term answer is still hazy, but the organization is not short on internal candidates who could eventually help smooth it out. Eric Hartman, AJ Gracia, Carter Beck and Owen Carey all stand out as names worth tracking, and each brings a different kind of fit for the outfield or designated hitter picture.
What makes the situation more interesting is the timeline. Atlanta may not need all of those answers right away, but the next year and a half could be enough for one or more of these prospects to push into real consideration. If even a couple of them keep trending upward, the Braves current uncertainty in the grass could look a lot less like a long-term problem and more like a temporary bridge to the next wave of homegrown depth. [Read more 🡒]
Braves Just Took Another Hit To Their Pitching Depth
The Braves lost another arm from their pitching inventory when the Giants claimed right-hander Duncan Davitt off waivers and sent him to Triple-A Sacramento. San Francisco cleared a spot on its 40-man roster by designating Spencer Bivens for assignment, while Atlanta is still trying to manage its own staff with Bryce Elder landing on the injured list and Reynaldo Lpez returning from the injured list.
For a club trying to stay geared toward October, every piece of depth matters, and Davitt had at least given the Braves another option to keep on hand. The move comes as Atlanta continues shuffling arms to cover the present while keeping an eye on the postseason, leaving the organization with one fewer fallback as the stretch run tightens. [Read more 🡒]