The Braves went into the deadline looking for help, and the biggest swing they explored never got off the ground.
Atlanta did add Tyler Mahle, but the more eye-catching possibility was a deal with the Rangers for Jacob deGrom. That trade talks got far enough for Texas to seek deGrom’s approval says plenty on its own. Then the whole thing stopped cold when deGrom used his no-trade clause.
“deGrom, 38, exercised the no-trade clause in his Rangers’ contract to put the kibosh on trade talks that would’ve sent him to Atlanta last week,” Gabriel Burns reported for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “The talks were extensive enough that the Braves and Rangers had the structure of a deal in place, which is why Texas approached him for approval.”
What makes the report even more notable is who Atlanta was prepared to send out. According to MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand, the Braves were discussing Spencer Strider in the framework of a contract swap.
“The Braves discussed sending Strider to Texas in a contract swap trade for Jacob deGrom before the Trade Deadline, and although deGrom blocked the deal with his no-trade clause, it’s clear that Atlanta is open to moving its former ace,” Feinsand wrote.
That adds another layer to an already uneasy season for Atlanta’s rotation. Strider has been shut down since June, and the injury picture has been a major part of the Braves’ year.
“Strider has been shut down from throwing for four weeks following a consultation with Dr. Keith Meister.
He'll then have a follow-up MRI. A clean scan would clear him to start a throwing progression.
Given where this looked headed on Friday night, the Braves have to be relieved. An MRI taken Saturday in Atlanta came back showing nothing but inflammation and no ligament damage,” USA Today’s Kristie Ackert wrote.
Atlanta is still battling the Phillies in the NL East, but the pitching situation has made the stretch run difficult. The rotation has been banged up for much of the season, and the deadline only brought one starter in Mahle.
Strider is on a $75 million contract, and his health track record is now impossible to ignore. He had UCL surgery in 2024, and he also had Tommy John surgery several years ago. That history is part of why this latest report matters so much for the Braves going forward.
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