This off-season, the Atlanta Braves lost several players without picking up replacements in free agency. Starting pitchers Max Fried and Charlie Morton were replaced internally by Grant Holmes and AJ Smith-Shawver.
A.J. Minter, who signed with the New York Mets, also left the team, and Joe Jiménez suffered a significant injury, leaving Atlanta with a depleted bullpen to start the season. As if that’s not enough to deal with, Jurickson Profar has recently been suspended 80 games for PED use and is not eligible for the postseason.
The Braves are still waiting on Ronald Acuña Jr. and Spencer Strider to return, but even with them this team still has weaknesses that need to be addressed. Let’s take a look at three players General Manager Alex Anthopoulos should consider trading away at the deadline to address these needs.
Three Players The Braves Should Consider Trading By The 2025 Deadline
Sean Murphy
The Braves made an unpopular move with their fan base, letting veteran catcher Travis d’Arnaud walk in free agency. This decision was made with the expectation of Sean Murphy being Atlanta’s primary catcher for the 2025 season.
Murphy had a down year last season that was likely affected by the injury he suffered in the first series of the year. Murphy started the 2025 season off sidelined with another injury and Atlanta has turned to their top prospect, Drake Baldwin, to fill that void. Baldwin’s numbers are far from impressive so far, but he has certainly passed the eye test, making a lot of hard contact, and the expectation is that his luck will start to turn sooner rather than later.
Since it is pretty obvious that Baldwin is the catcher of Atlanta’s future, parting ways with Sean Murphy could result in a solid return for the Braves. Catching depth has always been a top priority for the Braves organization, so this may be one of the more far-fetched ideas, but Atlanta has a lot of needs that they haven’t had to deal with in the past few seasons, so it should certainly be considered.
Bryce Elder
Starting pitcher Bryce Elder has bounced back and forth between the minors and big leagues over the last three seasons. Elder was an All-Star in 2023 however, and led the MLB in ERA for a large portion of that season.
Elder was back in Gwinnett to start the 2025 season but was recently called up to replace Reynaldo López, who will most likely be out of action for a couple of months at least. Elder is currently on a one-year deal just short of $800,000. Given his struggles recently in the big leagues, one would initially think that Elder would not provide much of a return in a trade.
Realistically, a team that is desperate for starting pitching help could be willing to take a chance on a former All-Star like Elder since his salary is so low and he is only 25 years old. If the Braves have no intention of giving Elder a new contract at the end of his deal then it may be time to see what they can get for him. Yes, the Braves have their own starting pitching issues at the moment, but you could certainly make the argument that they have better options than Bryce Elder that are currently in Gwinnett.
Jarred Kelenic
Before the 2024 season, the Braves signed outfielder Jarred Kelenic, expecting him to play every day. Once they witnessed his struggles during spring training, they decided to bring back Adam Duvall as a safety net. Neither acquisition has worked out, as Kelenic has struggled and Duvall is no longer with the team.
With the current circumstances of Atlanta’s outfield, Kelenic is getting another opportunity to play nearly every day and prove he belongs in the Majors. This year, Kelenic is off to a slow start at the plate, and through his short Braves career he has had several cold streaks.
Just 25 years old, Kelenic has still shown flashes of potential offensively and defensively, with speed being one of his best attributes. It just doesn’t feel like Atlanta is the best fit for him, so it only makes sense to trade him by the deadline for another outfielder, shortstop, or a much-needed arm.
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