Headlines

Go To Pro Hockey Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Braves Rumors

Braves, Cubs Among Teams Interested In Robert Suarez

By | at

Edwin Diaz came off the market on Tuesday when he signed a three-year deal with the Dodgers earlier today. Now that both he and Devin Williams are off the board, veteran right-hander Robert Suarez stands as the clear top option available on the market for closers this winter. It didn’t take long after Diaz’s deal was reported for MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand to report that Suarez’s market was starting to gain traction. Feinsand highlighted the Mets, Blue Jays, and Braves as the “most aggressive suitors” for the righty’s services. New York and Toronto have both been connected to Suarez already this winter, but Atlanta is a newly-reported suitor. Meanwhile, Francys Romero of BeisbolFR throws the Cubs’ name into the mix as well, reporting that Chicago is exploring the closer market and adding that Suarez is “one of the ideal candidates” for the club.

Suarez, 35 in March, has been an All-Star in back-to-back seasons. He’s sporting a 2.87 ERA and 3.17 FIP with 76 saves in 134 2/3 innings of work across those two campaigns. This year, he struck out 27.9% of his opponents with a 5.9% walk rate, giving him a 21.9% K-BB ratio that ranked 26th among qualified relievers this year. Those excellent numbers are enough to make him one of the league’s top relievers, although the right-hander’s age and imperfect track record (including a middling 2023 season where injury limited him to just 26 appearances) figure to limit the length of his contract somewhat. MLBTR predicted Suarez for a three-year, $48MM deal as the #21 free agent on our Top 50 MLB Free Agents list for the offseason.

That would be a hefty sum for a team like the Braves to pay for a closer when they already have longtime closer Raisel Iglesias in the fold, particularly when Atlanta is also in the market for help at shortstop and in the rotation. With that said, it certainly wouldn’t be the first time the club committed significant dollars to their bullpen. Iglesias, Joe Jimenez and Aaron Bummer are both on significant contracts already, and players like Pierce Johnson and Will Smith have been guaranteed significant dollars by Atlanta in the past.

The Cubs seem like a much clearer fit for Suarez, at least on paper. They’ve lost Brad Keller, Drew Pomeranz, Caleb Thielbar, and Andrew Kittedge from their bullpen this offseason. While they signed Phil Maton last month and Daniel Palencia remains a viable closing option, that’s still a lot of talent to lose from the late-inning relief mix. That makes it unsurprising that Chicago would be in the mix for a player like Suarez, although it’s worth noting that the Cubs have typically shied away from large multi-year commitments to relievers. Maton’s two-year deal is actually the first multi-year guarantee the team has signed a reliever to since Craig Kimbrel back in 2019, but a deal for Suarez would be on another level entirely; his annual salary would surely rival the $14.5MM total guarantee Maton landed.

The Mets and Blue Jays remain as perhaps the most obvious fits for the righty. While New York did bring Williams into the fold, they remained in on Diaz even after that signing. Now that Diaz has settled on Los Angeles, the Mets pivoting towards Suarez to strengthen the back of their bullpen is easy to understand, particularly after Williams delivered inconsistent results in the ninth inning as a member of the Yankees last year. The Jays, meanwhile, have long been known to be in the market for another high leverage reliever to pair with Jeff Hoffman in the late innings.

The number of quality closers on the market is dropping quickly, and if Toronto is hoping to add a high-end reliever with closing experience Suarez is undoubtedly the top option at this point. Keller and Tyler Rogers are alternative impact options still available who lack that ninth inning track record, while closers like Pete Fairbanks and Luke Weaver are still available but are coming off far less impressive seasons than the one Suarez just delivered in San Diego. The Marlins and White Sox are among the other teams known to be involved in the closing market this winter, though it would be a surprise to see either spend aggressively enough to land someone of Suarez’s caliber.

Braves, Pirates, Rockies Interested In Willi Castro

By | at

Willi Castro entered free agency on a down note, as he hit only .170/.245/.240 over 110 plate appearances with the Cubs after Chicago acquired the utilityman from Minnesota at the trade deadline.  Despite the sour finish, Castro is still drawing attention from multiple teams, as ESPN’s Jorge Castillo reports that the Braves, Pirates, and Rockies are among the interested suitors.

Castro landed the final spot on MLBTR’s ranking of the offseason’s top 50 free agents, with a prediction of a two-year, $14MM contract as Castro enters his age-29 season.  The multi-year pact reflects Castro’s extreme versatility as a player who has lined up at every position but catcher over his seven Major League seasons.  While Castro is an average defender at best, his ability to at least capably handle multiple spots around the diamond makes him a bit of a Swiss Army knife type and a very useful guy to have on a bench.

As evidenced by his time with the Twins, Castro was also capable of taking on a more regular role in the event of injuries to a starting player.  Castro hit .250/.335/.398 with 31 homers and 56 steals (out of 73 attempts) over 1388 plate appearances in a Twins uniform, and he has virtually even career splits as a switch-hitter.

Atlanta’s starting lineup is more or less set, apart from the question mark that is the shortstop position.  The Braves already picked up one utility player when Mauricio Dubon was acquired from the Astros, so Dubon and Castro could each get action at shortstop, or both could be mixed and matched all over the diamond as circumstances warrant.  President of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos has said his team prefers to rotate several players through the open DH spot, so Castro or Dubon could be utilized in the field whenever another regular is getting a DH day.  There has been speculation that Ozzie Albies could be a trade chip this winter, so it is possible more playing time might open up at the Braves’ second base position.

The Pirates’ position-player mix is a lot less settled, so Castro could conceivably be used all over the infield in timeshares with any of Nick Gonzales, Nick Yorke, or Jared Triolo.  If Castro can get his bat back to the slightly above-average level of production he showed in Minnesota, that will count as an upgrade for a Bucs team in sore need of offensive help.  Because Castro can be moved all over the diamond, his acquisition also wouldn’t prevent Pittsburgh from seeking out further bats at basically any position.  At something in the neighborhood of $14MM, Castro is also inexpensive enough that even a budget-conscious team like the Pirates could afford a signing.

Colorado basically needs help everywhere coming off a 119-loss disaster of a season.  Ezequiel Tovar is the starting shortstop but Castro could be viewed as an everyday option at any of the other three infield positions, with second or third base probably more likely than regular duty at first base.  Installing Castro into the outfield mix could also make the Rockies more open to dealing from their current crop of outfielders.

Even if Castro is signed to a multi-year contract, the Rockies might look to flip him to a contender at the trade deadline in order to pick up a couple of prospects, as Minnesota did last summer.  The same deadline flip tactic could conceivably be employed by the Braves or Pirates as well, though these two teams have much higher hopes of contending in 2026 than the Rockies.

Braves Sign James Karinchak To Minor League Deal

By | at

The Braves have signed right-hander James Karinchak to a minor league contract, The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal reports.  Should Karinchak make Atlanta’s roster, he’ll earn $840K in guaranteed money, as per 7News Boston’s Ari Alexander.  He’s represented by Gaeta Sports Management.

Best known for his days as a strikeout artist in Cleveland’s bullpen, it has now been more than two years since Karinchak last pitched in a big league game.  His 2024 workload consisted of just 6 2/3 innings in the minors due to shoulder problems, and after the Guardians outrighted him and allowed Karinchak to enter free agency last winter, he landed with the White Sox on a minor league deal.  Karinchak posted a 2.45 ERA and a 28.1% strikeout rate over 29 1/3 innings for Triple-A Charlotte before he was released in June.

Those seemingly strong numbers in Triple-A were undermined by a 16.5% walk rate, which is essentially the story of Karinchak’s career.  He owns an eye-popping 36.3% career strikeout rate over his MLB career, and he also posted a 3.10 ERA over 165 2/3 innings with Cleveland from 2019-23.  However, a 14.1% walk rate and some problems with the home run ball limited Karinchak’s effectiveness, plus injuries like his shoulder woes or a teres major strain in 2022 provided further obstacles.

The Guardians have one of baseball’s more celebrated pitching development staffs, so the fact that the Guards chose to move on from Karinchak doesn’t bode well for the possibility that he might solve his control problems.  Still, Karinchak’s strikeout potential is so tantalizing that it isn’t at all surprising to see teams like the White Sox or Braves take minor league fliers on the righty to see if he can get things on track, or perhaps Atlanta’s coaches think they might have a fix.  Karinchak is still only 30 years old and he has two years of arbitration eligibility remaining, so there’s hidden-gem potential for the Braves if Karinchak can manage even average control.

Braves Notes: Ozuna, Holmes, Bullpen

By | at

Braves president of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos spoke to reporters today, including David O’Brien of The Athletic, covering a variety of topics. The head man in Atlanta offered details on the club’s plans at DH, along with some health updates on a couple of pitchers.

While Anthopoulos didn’t rule out bringing back Marcell Ozuna, he said the team prefers to leave DH open and split the role among multiple players. Ozuna has been Atlanta’s primary DH since the 2023 season. He’s made just two appearances in the field the past three years.

Ozuna lost his stranglehold on the position midway through last season, with the Braves looking to get both Sean Murphy and Drake Baldwin in the lineup. The downturn in playing time, along with Ozuna’s pending free agency, led to frequent trade rumors in July. He ultimately remained with the team through the trade deadline. He socked five home runs in the first two weeks of August, but hit just one more the rest of the season.

The 35-year-old Ozuna has spent the last six seasons with the Braves. He led the National League in home runs and RBI in the shortened 2020 season. Ozuna struggled with injuries and poor performance over the next two campaigns. He bounced back to deliver some of the best results of his career in 2023 and 2024, totaling 79 home runs with 100+ RBI in each year.

Baldwin, the reigning NL Rookie of the Year, will be a fixture in the middle of the lineup next season. Murphy struggled to hit for average last year, but provided solid power numbers and strong defensive stats. He’ll likely earn the majority of the work behind the plate.

On the pitching side, Anthopoulos said Grant Holmes hasn’t had any setbacks in his recovery from a partial UCL tear and will be treated like a healthy pitcher this offseason. That update likely puts Holmes on track for the start of the 2026 season. The right-hander went down with right elbow inflammation in late July and was ominously placed directly on the 60-day IL. He went the rest-and-recovery route with the elbow injury and seems to have ducked surgery, given his progression thus far.

Holmes will be on the periphery of the starting rotation to open the season, but he’s likely the next man up if anyone goes down, which is exactly what happened last year. Spencer Strider hit the IL shortly before the season began, thrusting Holmes into a starting role. He came through with decent production at the back of the rotation, posting a 3.99 ERA over 22 appearances (21 starts). Holmes struck out more than a batter per inning, though his walk rate ballooned to 11%. Free passes hadn’t been much of an issue for Holmes, including in his swingman role in 2024, so perhaps the elbow injury played a role there.

Atlanta’s rotation will be headlined by Chris Sale, Spencer Schwellenbach, and Strider. Hurston Waldrep impressed late last season with a revamped arsenal, so he’ll likely retain a spot. Reynaldo Lopez missed nearly all of 2025 with a shoulder injury, though he should be back to begin next season. The Braves have given extra off days to their starters in recent seasons, particularly for Sale, so Holmes could find his way to starts even with everyone healthy.

The health update wasn’t as positive for Joe Jimenez. The reliever missed all of last season after undergoing knee surgery in March. Anthopoulos said Jimenez recently had a “cleanup” procedure on the knee. Anthopoulos added that the club isn’t counting on Jimenez until he ramps up throwing and proves he’s healthy.

Atlanta acquired Jimenez in a December 2022 trade that sent Justyn-Henry Malloy and Jake Higginbotham to the Tigers. He was a crucial part of the late-inning mix in 2024, racking up 27 holds and three saves. Jimenez cleaned up the walk issues that plagued him at times in Detroit, while maintaining substantial strikeout numbers.

The Braves have already been active on the free agent reliever market, re-signing Raisel Iglesias and Joel Payamps. Jimenez’s troublesome knee could lead to another addition, specifically from the right side. The club’s other high-leverage arms, Dylan Lee and Aaron Bummer, are both left-handed.

Photo courtesy of Brad Mills, Imagn Images

Cubs, Giants, Angels, Tigers Among Teams Interested In Zac Gallen

By | at

TODAY: Both The Athletic’s Patrick Mooney and USA Today’s Bob Nightengale expanded on Feinsand’s link between Gallen and the Cubs, writing that Chicago indeed has interest in the free agent.  Giving up draft compensation to sign Gallen isn’t a deal-breaker for the team, Mooney notes, as the Cubs have shown interest in other players (i.e. Ranger Suarez, Michael King) who rejected qualifying offers.

DECEMBER 5: Right-hander Zac Gallen didn’t have the platform season he envisioned heading into free agency, but the former Cy Young finalist and All-Star nevertheless turned down a qualifying offer from the D-backs and hit the open market last month. Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports that the Giants have had conversations with Gallen’s camp (video link). MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand adds the Angels and Tigers to the list of teams with interest in Gallen. He also indicates that the Orioles, Cubs and Braves have at least looked into Gallen. Meanwhile, John Gambadoro of 98.7 Arizona Sports recently suggested a D-backs reunion was unlikely.

Gallen, who turned 30 in August, struggled through four brutal months to begin the 2025 season but ended with a flourish. Through the time of the trade deadline, the right-hander was lugging a 5.60 ERA toward the finish line. That ugly ERA came despite roughly average strikeout and walk rates (22.1% and 8.6%, respectively). He was getting hammered by the long ball, yielding 23 homers in his first 127 frames of the season (1.63 HR/9).

From August onward, Gallen looked more like his typical self. His strikeout rate dipped two percentage points, to a below-average 20.3%, but his walk rate improved to 7.1%. Most importantly, he cut back on the home runs. Gallen yielded just eight round-trippers in his final 65 innings — a rate of 1.11 per nine innings, which falls far more closely in line with his career mark (1.05).

Even with a 3.32 earned run average over his final 11 starts, Gallen closed out the year with an unsightly 4.83 ERA overall. It’s not a strong mark, but Gallen and Boras are surely hoping that track record and impeccable durability will carry his market. Gallen started 33 games in 2025 and is tied with Jose Berrios for the fourth-most starts in MLB (126) dating back to 2022. His 734 innings rank third in the sport during that time, trailing only Logan Webb and Framber Valdez. Gallen has only been on the major league injured list three times in his career — a pair of short stints due to hamstring strains in 2024 and 2021 and a month-long IL stay for a mild elbow sprain back in ’21.

The Giants are a sensible fit. They’re looking for rotation help but not keen on handing out the type of six- and seven-year deals we’ll see for many of the market’s top names. Giants brass has seen him more than most pitchers over the years, as an ultra-durable stalwart in a division rival’s rotation. President of baseball operations Buster Posey even personally faced Gallen eight times, going 2-for-6 with a pair of walks and a home run.

San Francisco has the aforementioned Webb atop the rotation and signed through 2028. No. 2 starter Robbie Ray is signed only through the 2026 season. Right-hander Landen Roupp positioned himself for a rotation spot with a nice showing through 22 starts in his age-26 season. Other candidates at the moment include Hayden Birdsong, Carson Whisenhunt, Blade Tidwell, Kai-Wei Teng, Trevor McDonald and Carson Seymour. It’s a fine collection of depth, but there’s also plenty of uncertainty (hence the focus on rotation upgrades).

Gallen wouldn’t need to be the Giants’ ace but would give them a reliable source of innings and a big track record on which to dream. The Giants’ projected payroll, per RosterResource, is a bit under $169MM. That’s right about the same level at which they opened the 2025 season, but Giants ownership has topped $200MM payrolls in the past — even as recently as 2024. There’s room to add to the budget.

The Angels’ projected payroll is in a near-identical spot to that of the Giants, but the Angels trotted out a $203MM Opening Day mark just this past season. Mike Trout and Yusei Kikuchi are the only players signed beyond the 2026 season, and only Trout is signed beyond 2027.

In Anaheim, Gallen would join a rotation currently fronted by Kikuchi and Jose Soriano. Beyond that duo, the Angels are likely to give former top prospect Reid Detmers, who had a strong season in the bullpen in ’25, another look in the rotation next season. They’ve also acquired Grayson Rodriguez from the Orioles and signed Alek Manoah to a one-year deal this winter. Former top prospect Caden Dana headlines the depth options — a group also including Mitch Farris, Sam Aldegheri, Walbert Urena, Jack Kochanowicz and prospect George Klassen, who has not yet been added to the 40-man roster. There are some talented arms in the mix, but as with the Giants, the Halos simply lack stability behind a pair of generally established veterans atop the rotation.

Over in Detroit, the Tigers have some more stability but less depth. Having the best pitcher on the planet on the roster is a nice start, of course, and the Tigers can follow Tarik Skubal with Jack Flaherty, Casey Mize, Reese Olson and sophomore Troy Melton. Adding Gallen would push Melton to the top depth option, presumably in Triple-A, alongside Keider Montero, Sawyer Gipson-Long, Ty Madden and prospect Jaden Hamm (not yet on the 40-man roster).

The Tigers have one of the cleanest long-term payroll sheets of any club in MLB. Javier Baez’s six-year contract runs through 2027. He and Colt Keith — playing on a six-year, $28.6425MM extension — are the only two players guaranteed anything beyond the 2026 season. Adding Gallen would give the Tigers some 2026 stability and protect them in the event that Skubal, Flaherty and/or Mize all depart in free agency next winter.

The other clubs listed by Feinsand are all known to be in the market for rotation help, too, so none of the bunch is particularly surprising. It’d be out of character for the Braves to sign Gallen, unless his market collapses and he signs a short-term pillow deal (either one year or two years with an opt-out). Atlanta hasn’t given more than $30MM to a free agent starting pitcher under president of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos. The Orioles are likely searching for ceiling over stability, so unless they’re confident they can get Gallen back to his 2022-23 form, he’s probably not Plan A or B in Baltimore. The Cubs are already counting on one bounceback from a notable starter (Shota Imanaga), though Gallen fits the spending profile they’ve pursued in offseasons more than the other names at the top of the market.

Even coming off a down year, Gallen will likely find a multi-year pact. Even if he prefers to bet on himself with a shorter-term deal, he’s precisely the type of former All-Star for whom the Boras Corporation has frequently negotiated two-year deals with opt-out pacts. We predicted a four-year deal for Gallen on our annual ranking of the sport’s Top 50 free agents, believing that the market will value his durability and track record enough to get him paid nicely — albeit not to the extent he’d have enjoyed coming off a more typical season. Gallen will presumably be presented a variety of contract structures, many of which will have opt-out opportunities or convoluted multi-year player and club options alike. The deal he ultimately accepts will hinge on his personal level of risk aversion.

Braves Claim Osvaldo Bido, Anthony Molina

By | at

The Braves announced that they have claimed right-hander Osvaldo Bido off waivers from the Athletics and fellow righty Anthony Molina off waivers from the Rockies. There wasn’t any previous indication the players were on the wire but it seems the A’s and Rockies wanted to open roster spots, perhaps for the Rule 5 draft next week, and put these guys out there. Atlanta had one 40-man spot available and opened another by designating left-hander Josh Walker for assignment.

Bido, 30, has shown some promise in the big leagues but is coming off a challenging season. In 2024, he tossed 63 1/3 innings for the A’s over nine starts and seven relief appearances, allowing 3.41 earned runs per nine. His 10% walk rate was a bit high and he seemed to benefit from a .250 batting average on balls in play and 3.8% home run per flyball ratio, but his 24.3% strikeout rate was a solid figure.

For the 2025 season, the A’s moved to a Triple-A park in West Sacramento. The hitter-friendly environment seemed to impact Bido. His BABIP jumped to .315 and 14.7% of his fly balls left the yard. Also, his strikeout rate dropped to 18.7%. Put it all together and his ERA climbed to 5.87. The A’s optioned him to the minors a few times and he had a 5.71 ERA in Triple-A. He exhausted his final option year in the process, which was going to make it harder for him to stay on the roster going forward.

Atlanta will take a flier on him today. If he stays on the roster through the winter, he could compete for a job on the staff in spring training. It’s also possible they put him back on waivers later in the offseason. If he were to clear at some future date, they could keep him in the system as non-roster depth.

Molina, 24 in January, was a Rule 5 pick out of the Rays’ system in November of 2023. He has managed to stick on Colorado’s roster since then but has a ghastly 6.96 ERA in 94 1/3 major league innings. The Rockies have made a number of front office changes in recent months and it appears the new regime is less enamored of Molina, so he has been bumped to the waiver wire.

Atlanta seems to have a fondness for getting pitchers away from Coors Field. They have acquired Rockies pitchers such as Pierce Johnson, Brad Hand and Tyler Kinley in recent years. They also acquired Ryan Rolison from Colorado just last month.

Molina hasn’t had much major league success and doesn’t strike guys out, even in the minors, but he has generally avoided walks and gotten ground balls. He has only given a free pass to 6.3% of batters faced in his minor league career and just 6.6% of major league opponents. He still has a couple of options and can therefore be shuttled between Triple-A and the majors for the foreseeable future.

Walker, 31, was just claimed off waivers last month. He hasn’t yet found major league success, with a 6.59 ERA in 27 1/3 innings, but has intriguing minor league numbers. He tossed 131 2/3 innings on the farm from 2022 to 2025 with a 3.90 ERA, 30.5% strikeout rate and grounders on about half the balls in play he allowed. His 11.6%walk rate in that time wasn’t amazing but there’s been enough good stuff to entice teams.

Walker signed with the Blue Jays a year ago, then was acquired by the Phillies and the Orioles during the 2025 season. He exhausted his final option season this year, meaning he’ll now be out of options going forward. The O’s signed him to a guaranteed deal and tried to pass him through waivers but Atlanta claimed him. Atlanta will now have a week to try to trade him or pass him through waivers themselves. The waiver process takes 48 hours, so any trade talks would need to come together in the next five days.

Photo courtesy of Darren Yamashita, Imagn Images

Braves, Ben Gamel Agree To Minor League Deal

By | at

The Braves and outfielder Ben Gamel have agreed to a minor league deal, reports Aram Leighton of Just Baseball. The Wasserman client will presumably also receive an invite to big league camp in spring training.

Gamel, 34 in May, didn’t make it to the majors in 2025. That was the first time since 2015 that he didn’t appear in the show. He signed minor league deals with the Tigers and Angels but was limited by injuries to just 52 minor league contests. He put up a hearty .281/.402/.539 line in those games but didn’t get called up.

Over his big league career, he has generally been a decent hitter. In 2,320 plate appearances, he has a .252/.334/.382 line. That translates to a 96 wRC+, indicating he has been just 4% below league average overall. A lefty swinger, he’s been a bit better with the platoon advantage but doesn’t have massive splits. He has a 98 wRC+ against righties and an 88 wRC+ versus southpaws. He has experience at all three outfield slots and first base but is primarily a left fielder.

Atlanta currently projects to have an outfield alignment featuring Ronald Acuña Jr., Michael Harris II and Jurickson Profar. The designated hitter spot is open but will likely be used to rotate catchers Sean Murphy and Drake Baldwin through there. Given Acuña’s injury history and Profar’s poor defense, they could also get some DH time, which could open up some outfield time.

Eli White and Michael Siani are on the roster and project for bench roles, with Vidal Bruján and Brett Wisely around as infielder/outfielders. Siani is optionable, so it’s possible Gamel could earn a bench job and push Siani into regular playing time in Triple-A. Even if Gamel doesn’t break camp with the club, he could head to Triple-A and be ready to come up in the event of an injury.

Photo courtesy of Erik Williams, Imagn Images

MLBTR Podcast: An Agent’s Perspective with B.B. Abbott – Also, Cease, Williams, Helsley, And Gray

By | at

The latest episode of the MLB Trade Rumors Podcast is now live on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you get your podcasts! Make sure you subscribe as well! You can also use the player at this link to listen, if you don’t use Spotify or Apple for podcasts.

This week, host Darragh McDonald is joined by B.B. Abbott of Wasserman Baseball to discuss…

  • Abbott’s approach to free agency (3:30)
  • The impact of the media on free agency (10:00)
  • The different levels of player involvement in free agency (17:00)
  • The decision to sign an extension instead of going to free agency (20:15)
  • Chris Sale and his extensions with the White Sox, Red Sox and Braves (23:00)
  • Byron Buxton and his extension with the Twins (28:50)
  • Representing young players going into the draft (32:10)
  • The general state of baseball (35:50)

Plus, Anthony Franco of MLB Trade Rumors joins the show to discuss…

Check out our past episodes!

  • Some “Classic Baseball Trades,” Nimmo For Semien, And Ward For Rodriguez – listen here
  • Offseason Preview Megapod: Top 50 Free Agents – listen here
  • Surprising Option Decisions, Qualifying Offers, And Paul DePodesta – listen here

The podcast intro and outro song “So Long” is provided courtesy of the band Showoff.  Check out their Facebook page here!

Photo courtesy of Jerome Miron, Imagn Images

Braves Sign Austin Pope To Minor League Deal

By | at

The Braves have signed right-hander Austin Pope to a minor league deal, according to his transactions tracker at MLB.com. The Beverly Hills Sports Council client has been assigned to Triple-A Gwinnett for now but will presumably receive an invite to big league spring training.

Pope, 27, joins a new organization for the first time in his career. The pontiff was drafted by the Diamondbacks back in 2019. He climbed the minor league ladder and got to make brief major league debut in 2025. He was added to the roster in the final week of the regular season and got to make one appearance. On September 25th, with the Snakes down 8-0 to the Dodgers, Pope tossed two scoreless innings of mop-up duty. He allowed two hits and a walk while striking out one.

The righty was outrighted off the roster at the end of the season and was able to elect free agency, which has allowed Atlanta to scoop him up. They are presumably placing stock in Pope’s minor league results. Over the past three years, he has thrown 160 1/3 innings in the minor leagues, mostly with the Triple-A Reno Aces. His 4.55 earned run average in that time isn’t especially impressive but the Aces play in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League. His 9.4% walk rate in that time was pretty close to average while his 27.6% strikeout rate was quite strong.

Pope still has a full slate of option and just a handful of service days. If he gets added to Atlanta’s roster at any point, he can give the club a depth arm with roster flexibility and years of cheap control. For now, he can provide them papal depth without taking up a spot on the 40-man.

Photo courtesy of Rob Schumacher, Imagn Images

Braves Sign Danny Young

By | at

The Braves announced Tuesday morning that they’ve signed left-handed reliever Danny Young to a one-year, major league contract. It’s a split deal, paying the 31-year-old at different rates for time spent in the majors versus time in the minors. Young, a client of Dynamic Sports Group, goes onto Atlanta’s 40-man roster. He’ll be paid at a $925K rate in the majors, MLBTR has learned.

This will be Young’s second stint in Atlanta. He spent the 2023 season with the Braves organization as well, pitching 8 1/3 terrific innings in the majors and struggling in 15 2/3 minor league frames. Injuries limited his time on the field that year, and that’ll be the case in 2026 as well. Young has spent the past two seasons pitching well out of the Mets’ bullpen but underwent Tommy John surgery last May. By signing in Atlanta, he’ll reunite with Jeremy Hefner — his pitching coach with the Mets who has left and taken the same title with the Braves.

Young will open the ’26 season on the injured list as he finishes off the rehab from that Tommy John procedure. A source tells MLBTR that he began throwing last month and is targeting a return to game action before the All-Star break.

Young has pitched in parts of four major league seasons. He’s totaled 60 2/3 innings in that time and logged a 4.01 earned run average with far more intriguing rate stats: 29% strikeout rate, 9.3% walk rate, 53.3% ground-ball rate. Metrics like SIERA (3.02) and FIP (3.23) feel he’s been far better than his ERA would indicate, which isn’t a surprise considering his solid rate stats but bloated .344 average on balls in play.

Once spring training opens, Young will very likely be transferred to the 60-day IL to open a spot on the 40-man roster. If Atlanta needs that spot sooner, they could run him through waivers in the offseason. The salary terms might allow Young to go unclaimed, and while he’d have the right to reject an outright assignment in favor of free agency, doing so would require forfeiting the guaranteed money on his split major league and minor league rates of pay.

If Young stays on the 40-man roster/60-day injured list until the time of his activation, he’ll give Atlanta another southpaw option in a bullpen that already includes Dylan Lee and Aaron Bummer. Out-of-options lefties Dylan Dodd and Joey Wentz are also penciled into bullpen spots at the moment.

Should Young bounce back to form, he’s a potential long-term piece in the Atlanta ’pen. He enters the 2026 season with only 1.160 years of major league service time, meaning he can be controlled for five more seasons — all the way through 2030. Obviously, there’s a long way to go before that long-term control comes into play, but the fact that the Braves put him directly onto the 40-man roster suggests an openness to plugging Young into the mix beyond the current season if he performs well; notably, Bummer is a free agent following the 2026 campaign.

Show all

MLB Trade Rumors is not affiliated with Major League Baseball, MLB or MLB.com

Do not Sell or Share My Personal Information

hide arrows scroll to top