Braves Release Kyle Nelson
The Braves have released left-hander Kyle Nelson, according to the transactions log at MLB.com. He had been with the organization on a non-roster deal.
Nelson made sense as a potential depth piece for Atlanta. He has a serviceable 4.34 ERA in 116 big-league innings dating back to 2020. He has struck out 23.1% of opposing hitters while walking 9.0% of them. Most of the strikeouts came in 2023 with the Diamondbacks, when he pitched a career-high 56 innings with a 4.18 ERA. In every other season, he has run a sub-20% strikeout rate. Nelson’s numbers fell off a bit in 2024, and he missed most of that season recovering from thoracic outlet surgery. Though he returned in 2025, he was designated for assignment in early July and sent outright to Triple-A. He only pitched two innings over three appearances with Arizona in 2025, electing free agency after the season.
Nelson made just one appearance in the Braves’ big-league camp, allowing one earned run in one inning against the Red Sox on March 17. He clearly faced an uphill battle to make the Braves’ season-opening bullpen. Raisel Iglesias and Robert Suarez will handle the late innings. Meanwhile, the club has three lefties in Dylan Lee, Aaron Bummer, and Jose Suarez to cover the middle innings and long relief. Lee has been excellent in the last two years with a 2.74 ERA and a 23.9% K-BB rate. Bummer is one of the game’s best at inducing groundballs, while Jose Suarez impressed with a 1.86 ERA in a limited sample last year.
For now, Nelson will return to the market and look for a club to take him on as minor-league depth. Though he has been in the league since 2020, he is still younger than 30 and can be controlled through 2028 via arbitration. If he can work his way back to the majors, he can also provide roster flexibility through his one remaining option year.
Photo courtesy of Allan Henry, Imagn Images
Braves Sign Dominic Smith, Kyle Farmer To Split Contracts
The Braves announced that Dominic Smith and Kyle Farmer have been signed to Major League split contracts for the 2026 season. The two veterans were already in camp on minor league deals, but as Article XX(B) free agents, Smith and Farmer had the ability to opt out of their contracts five days before Opening Day if they weren’t added to the Braves’ 40-man roster.
These new deals mean that Smith and Farmer will be breaking camp with the club. The Braves have two open spots on their 40-man roster, so they can easily accommodate officially selecting Smith and Farmer closer to the team’s first game. Both players are out of minor league options and the Braves would have to designate either for assignment and then sweat out any waiver claims before sending either to the minors, plus Smith and Farmer have enough MLB service time to just reject a minor league assignment anyway.
It seemed like the two veterans were both somewhat long shots to make Atlanta’s roster, yet some opportunity was created when Jurickson Profar was issued a season-long PED suspension, and Ha-Seong Kim suffered a torn finger tendon that will keep him out until at least the start of May. The door may now be open for Smith to earn some at-bats as a left-handed hitting option for the DH spot, even if his usual first base spot is obviously filled by Matt Olson on an everyday basis. Smith has played in just one Major League game as an outfielder over the last four seasons, but he could get some occasional backup work if Ronald Acuna Jr. or Mike Yastrzemski needs a rest day.
For Farmer, Mauricio Dubon taking over the shortstop role in Kim’s absence means the Braves are short some versatile infield depth. Jorge Mateo and Brett Wisely are also competing for bench jobs and Eli White is expected to be the primary backup outfielder, and both Wisely and White are also out of minor league options.
Martin Perez is another minor league signing in Atlanta’s camp, and MLB.com’s Mark Bowman reports that Perez has been told he isn’t making the team. However, the veteran southpaw will forego his first Article XX(B) opt-out clause and remain in the organization as a Triple-A depth farm.
Braves, Rowdy Tellez Agree To Minor League Deal
The Braves are signing first baseman Rowdy Tellez to a minor league contract, reports Jon Heyman of The New York Post. Ari Alexander of Boston 7 News reports that the Primo Sports Group client would earn a $1.25MM base salary if he secures a spot on the MLB roster.
Atlanta only has four Spring Training games left. It’s not clear if they’ll try to get Tellez any Grapefruit League action or will wait until the beginning of the regular season. The lefty-hitting first baseman figures to begin the season at Triple-A Gwinnett either way. Tellez isn’t coming in completely cold despite lingering on the free agent market. He played for Team Mexico in the World Baseball Classic, going 1-9 with two walks and strikeouts apiece over four games.
Matt Olson is locked in as the everyday first baseman. He essentially never takes a day off. Tellez’s path to playing time is as a designated hitter or bench bat. Jurickson Profar is officially suspended for the entire season after his second failed performance-enhancing drug test. That opened DH playing time that might go to Dominic Smith, another lefty-swinging first baseman who is in camp as a non-roster invitee. Smith has hit .258/.343/.387 over 11 Spring Training games after a solid .284/.333/.417 showing for the Giants a year ago.
As MLBTR’s Steve Adams noted on Tuesday, Smith is among the veteran players whose deal contains an automatic opt-out opportunity this week. It’s not known if he exercised that, but if he did, the Braves would either need to put him on the Opening Day roster or grant him his release tomorrow. Either outcome would leave a spot for Tellez in the minors. A Smith opt-out would mean he’s either in the big leagues or back in free agency.
The automatic opt-out only applies when players with sufficient service time sign a minor league deal at least 10 days before the start of the regular season. Tellez’s deal comes too late to meet that criterion. His camp could still negotiate some opt-out or upward mobility opportunities into the contract.
Tellez played in 112 MLB games last year. He struggled early with the Mariners but had a better second half after signing with the Rangers. The end result was a .228/.276/.443 slash with 17 home runs across 312 plate appearances. Tellez has plus power against right-handed pitching but runs subpar averages and on-base marks. He’s a limited defender and baserunner whose game is built on slugging.
Braves Reassign JR Ritchie To Minor League Camp
Atlanta announced a series of camp cuts today. Arguably, the most notable name in the bunch is that of right-handed pitching prospect JR Ritchie, who has been reassigned to minor league camp.
Ritchie is still quite young, turning 23 in June, and isn’t on the 40-man roster. He didn’t come into spring training with a great path to a season-opening roster spot but his odds kept improving as guys ahead of him on the depth chart kept dropping off.
Spencer Schwellenbach hit the 60-day injured list as soon as camp opened due to elbow inflammation. Hurston Waldrep also had an elbow issue pop up and both pitchers underwent surgeries to remove loose bodies from their elbows. Their respective timelines aren’t clear but each will likely be out for at least a few months. A few weeks later, Joey Wentz tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee, meaning he’s already done for the year.
Those three subtractions nudged Ritchie into the conversation. Atlanta still had Chris Sale, Spencer Strider, Reynaldo López and Grant Holmes in four spots but those guys all have varying levels of health question marks. Bryce Elder, José Suarez, Martín Pérez and others were around as options for the fifth spot, with Ritchie potentially in that mix as well.
Last year, Ritchie surged from High-A to Double-A and then Triple-A. Across those three levels, he posted a 2.64 earned run average. His 9.6% walk rate was close to par while his 24.8% strikeout rate and 49.6% ground ball rate were both a bit better than average. He popped up at the back end of most top 100 prospect lists coming into this year.
In the small sample of spring training, Ritchie did his best to force his way into the picture. He made four starts with a 2.25 ERA. His 11.6% walk rate was a bit high but he struck out 32.6% of batters faced and induced grounders on 45.5% of balls in play.
The club had different paths available, with pros and cons to each. Ritchie is the upside play and he would have put the Prospect Promotion Incentive on the table, but giving him a shot would have meant sacrificing depth. Elder and Suarez are both of options. If they don’t have spots on the active roster, they would need to be removed from the 40-man. Pérez can opt out of his minor league deal if not added to the roster.
If Ritchie had the fifth starter spot, one other pitcher could be in the bullpen as a long reliever but they would probably have to let go of at least one, if not two of those other guys. By sending Ritchie down to start the season in the minors, they can perhaps have Elder in the fifth starter spot, with Suarez and/or Perez in the bullpen.
It seems Atlanta will take the latter path, which has less upside but allows them to keep more arms in the mix. It’s an understandable decision, given the likelihood of further injuries. Sale has been very injury prone in recent years, making more than 20 starts just once since 2019. Strider missed most of 2024 recovering from elbow surgery and was mediocre in his return last year. López made just one start in 2025 due to shoulder surgery. Holmes was diagnosed with a partial tear of his ulnar collateral ligament last year. He opted for non-surgical rehab and now appears healthy but there’s naturally still some worry about him going forward.
Teams generally need 10 to 15 starters to get through a season. Atlanta has already seen their depth tested. With plenty of question marks still in the mix, it’s defensible to opt for preserving what they have. Time will tell how they juggle the Elder, Suarez and Pérez mix. Ritchie will head to Triple-A and try to position himself to get a call when the time comes.
Photo courtesy of Kim Klement Neitzel, Imagn Images
Braves Outright Ian Hamilton
The Braves announced that right-hander Ian Hamilton has been sent outright to Triple-A Gwinnett. There wasn’t any previous indication he was on waivers but it appears he was quietly passed through unclaimed in recent days. The move drops Atlanta’s 40-man roster count from 39 to 38.
Hamilton was non-tendered by the Yankees after the 2025 season. Atlanta gave him a roster spot in December. Hamilton’s deal has a non-guaranteed $1.05MM salary, per the Associated Press. By cutting him from the roster before Opening Day, Atlanta will only owe him 45 days’ prorated termination pay, or about $254K.
The righty has at least three years of service time, meaning he has the right to elect free agency. Since he has fewer than five years of service, he would have to forfeit any remaining salary commitments on his deal by exercising that right. It’s unclear what kind of salary he would be paid as a minor leaguer, which would impact his decision.
Hamilton had some good seasons in the Bronx. He gave the Yanks 95 2/3 innings over 2023 and 2024, allowing 3.10 earned runs per nine. His 10% walk rate was a bit high but he struck out 27.4% of batters faced and induced ground balls at a 50.4% clip. His results backed up last year, as he posted a 4.28 ERA. His 25.3% strikeout rate was still good but a drop of a few ticks. He also saw his ground ball rate fall to 37.8% as his walk rate climbed to 13.3%. He was optioned to the minors for the final two months of the season.
That exhausted his final option year, so he will now be out of options going forward. That probably contributed to him getting pushed off the Yankee roster. He could have been retained for 2026 via arbitration, with MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz projecting him for a $941K salary, barely above this year’s $780K minimum. The Yankees decided to non-tender him instead, sending him to free agency.
Atlanta now has a couple of roster spots to play with. They are likely to use one on Dominic Smith, whose path to playing time was opened by the Jurickson Profar suspension. The club might also select Martín Pérez or JR Ritchie to the roster. Atlanta also has several candidates to move to the 60-day injured list, with Joey Wentz, AJ Smith-Shawver, Hurston Waldrep and Danny Young all possibilities. With that flexibility, this Hamilton move was probably less about opening a 40-man spot and more just a reflection of the fact that he wasn’t going to crack the Opening Day active roster.
Photo courtesy of Kim Klement Neitzel, Imagn Images
Jurickson Profar’s 162-Game Suspension Upheld
Jurickson Profar‘s appeal of his 162-game suspension for a second positive PED test was unsuccessful, reports ESPN’s Jeff Passan. Profar will serve the entire 162-game suspension, missing all of the 2026 season, and will be ineligible for postseason play if Atlanta qualifies. He will not be paid his $15MM salary this season, which means the Braves will also be spared the $3MM of luxury taxes they’d have paid on his contract this season.
Whether Atlanta plans to reinvest any of that $18MM in savings remains to be seen. There’s been little indication the Braves are actively seeking external additions to this point, though it’s certainly possible they were waiting for absolute certainty regarding Profar’s status before spending any additional funds. The Braves were already pushing a franchise-record payroll at the time of Profar’s suspension, and there was ample speculation that perhaps the team was at or near its budgetary limit, given the lack of urgency shown despite three notable injuries in their rotation this spring. Spencer Schwellenbach and Hurston Waldrep both had loose bodies removed from their right elbows, and left-hander Joey Wentz was lost for the season due to an ACL tear.
There aren’t many free agents of note for Atlanta to consider, although righty Lucas Giolito stands as one obvious exception. Southpaw Tyler Anderson also remains unsigned. The Braves could also look into any number of veterans who have the right to opt out of minor league contracts around the league over the next week. MLBTR recently profiled 33 such players. No one from that group would command significant money, but it at least gives Atlanta president of baseball operations some additional options to consider if he’s looking to augment his roster following Profar’s departure.
Profar is still under contract with the Braves through 2027, when he’ll be owed $15MM in the final season of what’s become a disastrous three-year, $42MM contract. It’s not yet clear how the Braves will proceed with him, though since he’ll spend the entire 2026 season on the restricted list, there’s no urgency for them to make the decision. With two PED suspensions under his belt, Profar is now one positive test away from becoming just the second player to ever receive a lifetime ban following three positive PED tests. He’d join right-hander Jenrry Mejia in holding that dubious distinction.
MLBTR Podcast: Banged-Up Reds And Braves, Kevin McGonigle, And Spring Breakouts
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 Steve Adams of MLB Trade Rumors to discuss…
- The 2026 World Baseball Classic (0:40)
- The Reds’ Hunter Greene requiring elbow surgery (7:50)
Plus, we answer your questions, including…
- Why are the Braves not calling the Red Sox about Jarren Duran? (14:50)
- Why have the Braves not addressed their injured rotation? Why not sign Lucas Giolito to a minor league deal? Does the club have an issue with how they treat their pitchers since they seem to have so many injuries? (20:50)
- Will Kevin McGonigle break camp with the Tigers and how would that impact the rest of the roster? (34:20)
- Who are some surprising performers in spring training who could impact the 2026 season? (46:05)
Check out our past episodes!
- Jesús Luzardo’s Extension, Atlanta’s Depth, And Zack Littell – listen here
- Max Scherzer, The Red Sox’ Lineup, Spring Extension Candidates, And More! – listen here
- Twins And Orioles’ Injuries, The Guardians And Angels’ Quiet Offseasons, And Chris Sale’s Extension – 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 Katie Stratman, Imagn Images
Braves Sign Kyle Nelson To Minor League Deal
The Braves have signed left-hander Kyle Nelson to a minor league deal, according to Matt Eddy of Baseball America. It’s unclear if the Beverly Hills Sports Council client will be in major league or minor league camp.
Nelson, now 29, had his best stretch in the majors in 2022 and 2023. He tossed 93 innings for the Diamondbacks over those two seasons, primarily as a reliever though with a few starts as an opener. He allowed 3.39 earned runs per nine frames in that time, with a 24.9% strikeout rate and 7.2% walk rate that were both a bit better than league average.
Unfortunately, he hasn’t been at that level since. He required thoracic outlet syndrome surgery in April of 2024 and missed most of that season. He was back on the mound in 2025 but with diminished stuff and results. His fastball averaged around 92 miles per hour in 2022 and 2023 but was down to around 90 mph last year. He was mostly kept in the minors. He only made three big league appearances and posted an ugly 9.09 ERA in Triple-A. The Snakes outrighted him off the roster in July. He was selected back to the roster in August but was outrighted again in November. He elected free agency after that second outright.
For Atlanta, there’s no harm in bringing Nelson aboard via a non-roster pact. They project to have Dylan Lee and Aaron Bummer as their top two lefty relievers. José Suarez may be in the bullpen but likely as a long reliever/swingman. Dylan Dodd and Hayden Harris are on the 40-man but they are optionable and still have fairly limited big league track records, so they may oscillate between Triple-A and the majors this year. If Nelson can get back on track and onto the roster, he still has one option season remaining.
Photo courtesy of Allan Henry, Imagn Images
Which Top Prospects Could Be On 2026 Opening Day Rosters?
In the not-too-distant past, it was relatively rare for organizations to break camp with their very best prospects on the roster. It still happened at times, but MLB's service time structure was set up such that keeping a top prospect in the minors for even two weeks to begin the season effectively ensured that he'd be controllable for seven years rather than the standard six. There were obvious exceptions to this thinking -- Atlanta fans surely remember Jason Heyward breaking camp as a 20-year-old and belting a three-run homer on Opening Day -- but there were far more cases of keeping a player in the minors to buy the extra year. Kris Bryant, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., George Springer and others were all called to the majors just when they'd spent enough time in the minors to give their clubs an extra year of control. There was nothing inherently nefarious about the gambit; teams were operating within the collectively bargained rules and making business decisions.
The 2022-26 collective bargaining agreement sought to implement some real incentives for teams to bring their best players north to begin the season, however, and by and large they've been effective. With the Prospect Promotion Incentives (PPI), any prospect who appears on two recognized top-100 lists and is called up early enough to earn a full service year can net his team a bonus draft pick, either in that season's Rookie of the Year voting or in MVP/Cy Young voting over the next three seasons.
There's also a disincentive to holding a player down. For those same qualified top prospects, a top-two finish in either league's Rookie of the Year voting will net a full year of major league service time, regardless of when they were called up. Said prospects still have around 90% of a season in such instances, which is more than enough time to turn in a ROY-worthy performance.
Teams now know that holding a player down for 15 days or so might lead to him getting a full year of service anyhow and comes with the disadvantage of rendering that player ineligible for future PPI picks. As such, it's become increasingly common for touted prospects to break camp on their teams' rosters.
With that in mind, and with fewer than two weeks to go until Opening Day, it seems worth running through a slate of top prospects who could factor into their teams' Opening Day plans.
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MLBTR Podcast: Jesús Luzardo’s Extension, Atlanta’s Depth, And Zack Littell
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 Anthony Franco of MLB Trade Rumors to discuss…
- The Phillies and Jesús Luzardo signing an extension (1:55)
- Johan Rojas reportedly testing positive for a PED and how that impacts the Phillies (16:55)
- The Braves losing Jurickson Profar to yet another PED suspension and Joey Wentz to a season-ending injury (22:15)
- The Nationals signing Zack Littell (36:25)
- The Pirates trading Kyle Nicolas to the Reds for Tyler Callihan (43:40)
- The Rangers signing Andrew McCutchen to a minor league deal (48:45)
- The Astros dealing with a Jeremy Peña injury and how that impacts the ongoing Isaac Paredes trade rumors (53:30)
Check out our past episodes!
- Max Scherzer, The Red Sox’ Lineup, Spring Extension Candidates, And More! – listen here
- Twins And Orioles’ Injuries, The Guardians And Angels’ Quiet Offseasons, And Chris Sale’s Extension – listen here
- The Tigers’ Rotation, A Brewers-Red Sox Trade, And Late Free-Agent Signings – 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 Kyle Ross, Imagn Images