The Braves don’t usually win the offseason by writing the biggest checks, and when they have spent, the return hasn’t always matched the price tag. This winter gave them a little of everything: Robert Suarez looked like a $45 million arm before injuries wrecked his year, Raisel Iglesias has been a solid one-year, $16 million bet, and Ha-Seong Kim - aside from that memorable moment last week against the Dodgers - has been a brutal value at $20 million.
But Atlanta has always made its living finding the players nobody else is talking about. This season, that’s been the story again. The Braves have squeezed real production out of guys who cost almost nothing to bring in, and a few of those moves have quietly shaped the entire year.
Victor Mederos is a good place to start. Atlanta picked him up in April from the Los Angeles Angels for international bonus pool money, a move that barely registered at the time.
It took him a while to settle in as a steady piece, but over the last two months he’s become one of Walt Weiss’ most trusted relievers, posting a 3.04 ERA and 2.97 FIP across 26 appearances. Weiss has no hesitation turning to him in tight spots now, and Mederos has become the kind of pitcher who brings a jolt of energy every time he steps on the mound.
He’s also the guy who seems most fired up in the building when the last out is in the books.
Tyler Mahle may end up climbing even higher before this is all over. Since the Braves landed him from the Giants for almost nothing at the trade deadline, he’s been their best addition by a mile, turning in a 1.48 ERA in five starts. That’s a ridiculous start, but the sample is still small, which is why he doesn’t quite leapfrog the two veterans ahead of him yet.
Those final two names could easily be flipped. Martin Perez has been one of the biggest reasons Atlanta is still sitting in first place after the rotation took hit after hit.
Spencer Strider, Spencer Schwellenbach, and Hurston Waldrep all went down, and all three are done for the season after giving the Braves no value. That kind of collapse could sink a lot of clubs.
Instead, Perez steadied everything. Signed to a minor-league deal in the offseason and later designated for assignment, he has become Atlanta’s second-best starter all year, working to a 3.05 ERA over 121.0 innings.
The stuff isn’t flashy, and what his October role looks like is still unclear, but the Braves are not where they are without him.
At the top sits Mauricio Dubon, the move that still feels like one of the season’s strangest swaps. Dana Brown is no longer running the Astros, and it’s hard not to wonder how Alex Anthopoulos pulled off the deal that sent Nick Allen for Dubon.
Whatever the backstory, Atlanta has been enjoying the payoff for five months. Dubon’s versatility has helped patch holes all over the roster, and at shortstop he’s been the best Brave since Dansby Swanson - elite defense, plus a steady stream of timely hits.
On a team that’s had to survive so much attrition, Dubon has become one of the players most likely to shape how far this club goes in October.
In Other News...
Braves Face A Bigger Acua And Albies Question Than 2027
The Braves next big roster decision might not be whether Ronald Acua Jr. and Ozzie Albies are back in 2027, because the club options on both players make that part of the equation look fairly straightforward. Acuas option is valued at $17 million, Albies at $7 million, and both are widely expected to be picked up after the 2026 season, keeping two familiar faces in Atlanta for at least one more year.
The trickier question is what comes after that, and it is one Atlanta has every reason to keep circling. Albies is headed toward free agency in 2028 if he is not extended, while Acuas team control beyond 2027 is limited, leaving the Braves to weigh performance, durability and long-term payroll planning all at once. Even with the near-term answers seemingly in place, the bigger issue is how much longer the club can count on both players as pillars of the roster. [Read more 🡒]
Braves Prospect Eric Hartman Is Suddenly Forcing His Way Onto The Radar
MLB Pipelines All-Breakout team is the latest reminder that prospect lists can change fast once the season starts and players begin forcing the issue. Among the names earning that recognition is Eric Hartman, whose rise this year has put him in the same conversation as a broader group of minor leaguers who have taken meaningful steps forward relative to where they stood in the preseason.
For the Braves, Hartmans inclusion matters because it signals real momentum, not just a hot stretch. He is part of a class of prospects whose performance has started to reshape how theyre viewed across the minors, and that kind of upward move can alter a teams internal picture in a hurry. The only question now is how long he can keep turning that attention into something more lasting. [Read more 🡒]
Braves Roster Rules Are Creating A Late-Season Problem For Atlanta
The Braves have begun sorting through September roster decisions with a little less flexibility than teams used to have, adding right-hander Blake Burkhalter and infielder Kyle Farmer while shifting Robert Suarez to the 60-day injured list. It is the kind of move that feels routine on paper, but it also reflects how much the modern rules have changed the end-of-season playbook, especially for clubs trying to balance health, matchups and depth in a stretch run.
September used to offer more room to carry extra arms and a deeper bench, but the current limits have narrowed those choices to 28 active players and 14 pitchers. For Atlanta, that creates a more difficult late-season equation: every roster move has to do more than just fill a spot, and the lack of extra flexibility can shape how often certain players are used, how aggressively pitchers are managed and how the Braves navigate the final weeks. [Read more 🡒]