The Atlanta Braves are in a bit of a pickle. Earlier in the season, they were cruising comfortably atop the NL East, but that cushion has all but vanished.
With the trade deadline looming just over a month away, the Braves are gearing up for some strategic maneuvers. General Manager Alex Anthopoulos has already hinted at some potential shake-ups on the horizon.
Anthopoulos shared, “I fully expect and hope that we will be engaged in trades come July. I'm not trying to overly excite anybody or promise anything.
But if we're playing the way we are right now, we're going to be in there.” It's a candid acknowledgment of the team's current struggles, especially considering their recent form has been far from the high-flying baseball they showcased earlier in the season.
The Braves have dropped 11 of their last 15 games, a stark contrast to their earlier dominance.
The Braves' recent woes were highlighted in a tough outing where they were held to just one hit over seven scoreless innings by Giants ace Logan Webb. The offense has hit a rough patch, exacerbated by the absence of the injured Ronald Acuña Jr. Meanwhile, the starting rotation has been struggling mightily, posting a 6.72 ERA over this challenging 15-game stretch.
In response to these struggles, the Braves have made a savvy move by signing veteran first baseman Carlos Santana. Initially, Santana will start at Triple-A, but there's potential for him to be called up to the majors, possibly filling a platoon role. This move was first reported by ESPN’s Jeff Passan, noting that Santana, at 40 years old, provides a safety net for the Braves and a chance to return to the big leagues after being released by Arizona.
Santana's addition is a strategic one for Atlanta. His ability to switch-hit and his wealth of postseason experience, including a World Series appearance with Cleveland in 2016, make him a valuable asset.
Over his impressive 16-year career, Santana has earned over $126 million, and the Braves are banking on this low-risk signing to pay dividends. Anthopoulos has a knack for unearthing hidden gems, and this move could be just what the Braves need to reignite their season and reclaim their position at the top.
In Other News...
Braves Fans Wont Love Walt Weiss Take On The NL East Race
June has not been kind to the Braves, and the cushion in the NL East has thinned to three games after a stretch of losses that included Sundays 3-2 setback to the Giants. Atlanta has not been able to pair enough clean defense with timely offense, and the recent skid has opened the door just enough for the Phillies to inch closer in the standings.
Walt Weiss did not sound overly worried about the race, brushing off the shrinking margin as something that still feels early in the season. Even with Chris Sale giving Atlanta a strong outing, the Braves have not consistently backed up their pitching, and the lack of run production has become a more pressing concern as the month has worn on. [Read more 🡒]
Braves Entering A Stretch That Feels Far More Serious Than Expected
The Braves have reached a point where the broader standings debate feels a lot less important than the nightly evidence on the field. A road trip that yielded just seven runs in five games underscored how sharply the offense has slipped, and the June production has been so thin that Atlanta has spent more time trying to stop the bleeding than thinking about where it sits in the division. Walt Weiss has taken the same view, stressing that the priority is the clubs own performance, not the margin in the standings.
Atlantas issues also stretch beyond the lineup, with pitching questions lingering as the calendar moves toward the second half. The absence of Ronald Acua Jr. leaves an obvious hole in the middle of the order, but the larger question is whether the Braves can stabilize enough to avoid letting this stretch turn into something bigger. For now, the trade market remains in the background, not yet a real solution or even a serious conversation, which only adds to the sense that the next few weeks could tell us a lot about how far this team can lean on internal fixes. [Read more 🡒]
Braves Lefty Just Answered A Big Question About His Fast Rise
Briggs McKenzie has gone from draft-day curiosity to one of the Braves most interesting pitching developments almost overnight. The 2025 fourth-round pick has already climbed through Rookie ball, Low-A and High-A in just two months, a fast track that usually comes with at least one rough landing. For McKenzie, the first taste of High-A was bumpy enough to raise the obvious question about whether the jump had arrived too soon.
His third start at the level offered a much better answer. McKenzie settled in with eight strikeouts in 4.2 innings and finished by retiring six of his final 10 batters via punchouts, a sharp rebound that dropped his season ERA to 2.08 over 26 innings. The stuff still points to more growth ahead, too, with a curveball that misses plenty of bats, a fastball sitting in the 90-95 mph range and a low-80s changeup giving Atlanta plenty to work with as his rise keeps testing the limits of how quickly he can move. [Read more 🡒]