As the Braves drift toward October without their sharpest edge, the questions around this roster are getting louder. If Atlanta falls short in the playoffs, the offseason could force a hard reset on several familiar names - and Spencer Strider is already on the radar.
Mark Feinsand included Strider among his 11 most intriguing offseason trade candidates, and the reason is obvious: Atlanta has already explored moving him once. Feinsand reported that the Braves tried to send Strider to Texas in a contract swap for Jacob deGrom before the Trade Deadline, but deGrom used his no-trade clause to shut it down. Even so, Feinsand wrote, “it’s clear that Atlanta is open to moving its former ace,” pointing to Strider’s injury history and contract as the key reasons why.
Strider has been sidelined since mid-June with right elbow inflammation, and Feinsand noted that while a return this season is unlikely, there is “an outside chance he could be available out of the bullpen during the postseason.” His deal is a big part of the equation: he’s owed $22 million in each of the next two seasons, with a $22 million club option for 2029 and a $5 million buyout.
From the Braves’ perspective, the logic is simple. Strider hasn’t been the same pitcher for a while, and the gap between the old version and the current one is hard to ignore.
He had InternalBrace surgery in 2024 and has made just 31 starts since, posting a 4.66 ERA. The bigger concern, though, is what’s happened to his stuff.
His fastball velocity has fallen several ticks, and without that pitch at its old level, he’s no longer carrying the same kind of margin for error.
Atlanta could try to slide him into a bullpen role, at least in theory. Shorter outings might give him a better chance to stay healthy and maybe find some rhythm. But at $44 million over the next two seasons, that would be an awfully expensive reliever, especially if he’s not in line to close games.
That leaves the Braves with a familiar offseason problem: finding a team willing to buy into the idea that Strider can still get back to his previous form. If that market doesn’t exist, Atlanta may have to attach money, take a bad contract back, or simply wait it out. For now, that’s the most realistic path.
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From there, the winter plan gets even more complicated. The Mets are being linked to a wish list that includes pitchers Tarik Skubal and Adrian Morejon, infielder Luis Arraez, and even a trade designed to shed a bad contract in exchange for a right-handed first baseman. It is the kind of roster-building puzzle that could spark a real debate inside the organization, because each move would help in one area while forcing the club to make another choice it might not be eager to confront. [Read more 🡒]