I cannot believe we still have two months more of this steaming pile of crapola to endure. Heading into the MLB trade deadline, the 2025 Atlanta Braves are not anywhere close to being a postseason pretender. It has been a season-long struggle of epic proportions. The lineup is feast or famine. The starting rotation is hurt. The bullpen cannot be trusted. Neither can the front office or coaching staff.
Although I will take anything anyone reports on what the Braves may or may not do with a grain or two of salt, mostly because nothing leaks out of Alex Anthopoulos’ front office, I did find Ken Rosenthal’s intel for The Athletic to be quite intriguing. He has conflicting sources on what Atlanta may or may not do at the deadline. Will they sell off their prospective free agents or will they stand pat to remain as is?
One executive who Rosenthal spoke with said Atlanta has no intention of trading any of its potential free agents. However, a Braves source said that is not entirely accurate. They are reportedly wiling to move on from players on expiring contracts such as their designated hitter Marcell Ozuna and closer Raisel Iglesias, but this is not going to be a salary dump sort of affair. They play on contending again.
As a Braves fan, all this does is confuse me and it goes to show how decadent this team has become.
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The Atlanta Braves continue to be baseball’s biggest enigma once again
I have made it a point to not watch as much Braves baseball as I normally do at this stage of the MLB season. It had once been a nightly event for me. Now, I probably tune in maybe once or twice a week if I have nothing else going on. The product I am seeing on the field is not up to standard. The team has been poorly constructed and mismanaged every step of the way. New voices need to arrive in 2026.
I would venture to guess this will be Brian Snitker’s last season as manager. He is getting up there in age, is incredibly stubborn, and takes no accountability for his team’s poor play. More importantly, he is on the last year of his deal. I fully expect the Braves brass to send him on his way with a golden parachute into retirement come October. The entire coaching staff makes chicken mess out of salad.
Alex Anthopoulos has to start delivering again for the Braves
As far as what needs to happen from a front office standpoint, Anthopoulos is no longer untouchable. His egomaniacal decisions to not pay homegrown players big money on a second contract as they approach 30 is utterly asinine. This team would be a lot better if Freddie Freeman, Max Fried and Dansby Swanson were a part of it. My biggest gripe with him is overextending young players early.
The instant he decided to give Michael Harris II, Austin Riley and Spencer Strider big money long before he had to, they have not been the same players. While there are guys on this team I would love to see part of the team’s core in the future, they needs dudes on this team with a bit of heart and are not so shamelessly passive. Braves baseball is a big deal, so why has it devolved into such a joke?
While I do think a bounce-back season in 2026 is possible, the team needs a new voice to guide it.
