The Dodgers enter the 2027 offseason with a 2026 lineup largely locked in, but eight of the nine regular position players will be in their thirties, sparking concerns about aging depth. Injuries to Will Smith, Tommy Edman and Shohei Ohtani limited the starters to just three games together this season. Rookie outfielder Josue De Paula, who saw brief DH action after Ohtani’s IL stint, is seen as a potential left‑field solution, yet he must improve defensively and earn a roster spot. With Teoscar Hernández entering the final year of his $21 million contract, a trade may free space for De Paula, while the Dodgers weigh utility moves, possible trades for a younger second baseman, and trimming their four‑catcher depth. The article debates the roster tweaks needed to rejuvenate the position‑player group.
The 2026 Atlanta Braves season sees veteran catcher Sandy León back on the active roster after a brief stint in the Mexican League. Injuries to Drake Baldwin and Sean Murphy thrust León into a regular role, where he appeared in 21 games and posted a .091/.091/.091 slash line with -0.5 fWAR. While his offense struggled—four singles, 18 strikeouts and no RBIs—he excelled defensively, leading the Braves in ABS challenge runs (+0.8) and ranking 20th league‑wide despite limited innings. León’s performance highlights his value as a framing specialist, but his weak bat limited overall impact. At 37, his future likely hinges on minor‑league deals as a backup and mentor.
The Braves’ 2026 trade deadline was quiet but surprisingly effective. General manager Alex Anthopoulos passed on big targets like Tarik Skubal and lost a deal for Jacob deGrom, yet landed Tyler Mahle for $2 million—a 1.99 ERA over nine regular‑season starts and stellar postseason outings, arguably the deadline’s best haul. Reliever Brent Suter, acquired for nothing, posted a 1.66 ERA in 27.2 innings and helped shut down the Dodgers in the NLDS. The only miss was Lane Thomas, who slumped to .171 in 46 plate appearances and spent the final month injured. While the offense remained thin, the bargains kept the Braves competitive without mortgaging the future.
Braves assistant GM Ben Sestanovich is reportedly in contention for the Houston Astros’ vacant general manager role, according to The Athletic’s Chandler Rome. The Braves have a history of losing Alex Anthopoulos protégés to other clubs—Perry Minasian left for Anaheim and Dana Brown was recently ousted from Houston. Sestanovich, who joined Atlanta in 2020 after serving as the Padres’ head of player development, focuses on talent development and helped Kyle Wright reinvent his pitch mix. If hired, he would be the second Braves staffer to replace a former Astros executive, raising questions about Jim Crane’s hiring pattern.
With the World Series looming, the Braves recap Aaron Bummer’s 2026 season, highlighting his role as a left‑handed reliever and key moments from his May 14 outing versus the Cubs. The piece also previews the top 10 game‑changing hits of the year and explores offseason needs, weighing free‑agent options Seiya Suzuki and Randy Arozarena. Additionally, it notes the New York Mets’ interest in hitting coach John Mallee.
The Houston Astros are narrowing down candidates for their general manager vacancy, with Royals senior vice president Scott Sharp and Braves assistant GM Ben Sestanovich emerging as frontrunners, according to Chandler Rome of The Athletic. Sharp, 54, brings two decades of Kansas City experience and has interviewed with several clubs, while Sestanovich, a Harvard alum and former Atlanta assistant GM, adds a strong player‑development background. They join a shortlist that also includes Matt Kleine, Josh Barfield and Randy Flores. The Astros aim to appoint a GM before the World Series concludes and are also seeking a new manager after parting with Joe Espada. Additionally, Houston plans to hire Spencer Medick as director of pitching.
If the Los Angeles Angels decide to improve a weak farm system, trading 25-year-old shortstop Zach Neto would net a massive return. The Braves, Red Sox and Phillies could take interest.
SportsTalk ATL breaks down the Braves' 2027 free‑agent list, offering clear buy‑or‑sell verdicts. The outlet advises a hard sell on Ha‑Seong Kim after a disastrous one‑year stint, and recommends letting go of 37‑year‑old reliever Raisel Iglesias despite his 2.55 ERA, citing age and emerging closer Robert Suarez. Starting pitcher Tyler Mahle, who finished 2026 with a 1.99 ERA and strong postseason outings, is flagged as a must‑keep, though Anthopoulos may shy from a bidding war. Martin Perez, a surprise 3.04 ERA performer, is likely to be re‑signed on a modest deal. Shortstop Mauricio Dubon earns a strong buy recommendation, while left‑fielder Lane Thomas is a cheap, depth‑first buy, and reliever Brent Suter gets a similar nod after a 1.63 ERA in limited action.
The article ranks the ten Braves hits that most boosted win probability in 2026, highlighting late‑inning heroics that defined the season. Top spots belong to September 11, 2026, when Ha‑Seong Kim’s single (WPA 0.42), Drake Baldwin’s walk‑off double (WPA 0.43) and Sean Murphy’s game‑tying single (WPA 0.49) turned a 5‑5 game into a series‑opening win over the Phillies. Other key moments include Michael Harris II’s RBI double on June 7 versus the Pirates and Matt Olson’s two‑run ninth‑inning homer on July 6 against the Mets, each with a 0.41 WPA. The piece shows how the Braves’ offense exploded after the seventh inning, often swinging the outcome in Atlanta’s favor.
The 2026 review of Atlanta Braves reliever Aaron Bummer details a disastrous season that ended his tenure with the club. Acquired in a 2023 trade and re‑signed for $9.5 million, Bummer was expected to rebound after a shoulder‑inflamed 2025, but he posted a 7.63 ERA and 8.64 FIP over just 15.1 innings before being released in mid‑May. A rough May 18 outing (five walks, two homers, six runs) prompted his departure; brief stints with the Cubs and Royals followed, culminating in free agency on August 7. His lone bright spot was a scoreless inning on May 8 against the Dodgers, striking out Ohtani, Smith and Freeman.
With the Atlanta Braves out, the 2026 World Series pits the Milwaukee Brewers against the Tampa Bay Rays – the two clubs boasting the best records in their leagues. This mirrors past matchups in 2024, 2020, 2013 and several early‑90s series that also featured the Braves. Both teams entered the finals as low‑power outfits (bottom six in ISO) but advanced by out‑hitting opponents. Their recent regular‑season clash saw the Rays win 3‑2 in Milwaukee, then the Brewers dominate the next two games 14‑4. The series guarantees a first‑time champion, making it a compelling showdown for neutral fans.
On November 6, 1992, Devon White made a game‑changing catch in Game 3 of the World Series, preserving a 3‑2 win over the Atlanta Braves and giving Toronto a 2‑1 series lead. The article recounts the fourth‑inning play, the ensuing scoring drama, and how the Jays ultimately clinched the series in six games. It also highlights White’s heroics in the 1993 World Series Game 5, his two‑run triple in a 15‑14 slugfest, and mentions later franchise moments like John Farrell’s 2013 departure. The piece celebrates White’s defensive brilliance and its lasting impact on Blue Jays lore.
Atlanta seems open to moving on from its franchise outfielder, but it's still going to take a haul.
The Chicago White Sox claim the sole upset of the 2026 postseason, eliminating No. 3 seed Houston as a No. 6 seed in the AL Wild Card Series. While every other series followed expected seed outcomes, the Rays and Brewers dominate the AL and NL respectively, with Tampa Bay dispatching Cleveland after a brief early deficit. The article notes Stephen Vogt’s managerial choices didn’t alter the Rays’ decisive Game 6 win, underscoring the White Sox’s lone surprise in an otherwise predictable playoff field.
The ALCS Game 6 preview highlights the Guardians' fight to avoid elimination against the Rays, who launch Freddie Peralta—boasting a 0.79 ERA in 11.1 postseason innings. Cleveland counters with opener Shawn Armstrong, who holds a flawless 0.00 ERA and 0.26 WHIP over six appearances. With the Braves out, the series guarantees a World Series champion without a title in 78 years, while the Brewers remain title‑less since 1982. First pitch kicks off at 7:00 PM EDT, and fans can join the live discussion in the comments.
Tiger Woods once called former Braves pitcher John Smoltz the "best amateur golfer in the world" after witnessing a streak of sub‑70 rounds in early 2003. Adam Wainwright recounted Woods' praise on the We Need a Fourth podcast, noting Smoltz’s impressive 66‑65‑64‑66 scores. Smoltz, a Hall of Famer with a +1.5 handicap, has qualified for the 2018 U.S. Senior Open, competed on the PGA Tour Champions, and reached the final stage of 2023 Q‑School. Woods previously highlighted Smoltz (and NFL’s Tony Romo) as top non‑pro golfers among athletes. The article also recounts a light‑hearted simulated baseball showdown where Woods grew angry when Smoltz threw easy pitches.
The Atlanta Braves logged 204 home runs in the 2026 regular season, tying for seventh in MLB, and now the blog ranks the ten longest dingers. Austin Riley dominates the list with three entries—433‑ft (Aug 4 vs. Marlins), 434‑ft (Sept 11 vs. Phillies) and two 438‑ft shots (May 2 at Rockies, Aug 12 vs. Mets). Ronald Acuña Jr. ties for a 438‑ft blast on May 31 at the Reds, while Matt Olson contributes a 437‑ft three‑run homer on Aug 16 against Arizona. The piece highlights the power surge that helped Atlanta’s postseason push.
The 2026 Braves Player Review examines infielder Ha‑Seong Kim, who returned on a one‑year, $20 million deal after a waiver claim in 2025. Expectations were modest, with projections of 1.4–2.1 WAR, but Kim’s season collapsed: in 51 games he posted a .116/.219/.140 slash line, −1.2 fWAR and a wRC+ of just 7, while his defense ran three runs below average. Injuries to his right middle finger limited his availability, and he lost the regular shortstop role. Despite the struggle, Kim delivered a dramatic pinch‑hit walk‑off against the Dodgers on August 26 and a few clutch hits later, offering brief flashes of heroism. Overall, the review labels his 2026 campaign as historically poor, questioning the $20 million price tag.
Walt Weiss’s debut as Atlanta Braves manager sparks debate over whether he surpassed preseason expectations. The author notes Weiss’s unconventional tactics—like unconventional bullpen usage and odd levers that sometimes paid off, such as leveraging Victor Mederos’s high WPA despite a poor xFIP—contrasted with costly missteps, especially in the postseason. While the Braves posted a massive BaseRuns overperformance, the piece questions if that reflects sound managerial strategy or luck, inviting readers to weigh Weiss’s mixed results.
Jurickson Profar, still under contract with the Atlanta Braves, heads to Venezuela for winter ball – his first game action since before the 2026 season – prompting questions about his role heading into 2027. Meanwhile, the Tampa Bay Rays move within one win of the World Series, leading the Guardians 3-2 in the ALCS, and former Mets manager Carlos Mendoza lands as the Philadelphia Phillies' new third‑base coach after being linked to the Seattle Mariners.
The Atlanta Braves are one of the most famous professional teams in sports history. Throughout their lengthy history, some of […]
One of the benefits of watching your team continue in the playoffs is that you don’t have to think about the holes in your team until you exit. And once you do, you begin the arduous task of considering how it all went wrong. Dealing with the holes in the team can be pretty straightforward. […]
As we approach the offseason and it increasingly looks like we will get a window for transactions before a likely lockout in early December. Last time we had a CBA negotiation and associated lockout, there was a flurry of transactions before the lockout, as teams and players looked to lock in some certainty before an […]
The Atlanta Braves have already made some moves this offseason, according to the transaction log. Most notably, infielder Brett Wisely was selected to the major league roster. Outfielder DaShawn Keirsey Jr. was outrighted to Triple-A Gwinnett, and infielder Luke Williams elected free agency. Given his limited big league experience, the decision to add Wisely to […]
Atlanta Braves outfielder Jurickson Profar is still owed $15 million for 2027, yet nobody in the organization has reportedly heard from him. Two PED suspensions, a changed phone number, and a Venezuelan winter ball deal have made this offseason messy. “Jurickson Profar ‘disappeared off the face of the Earth’ after his 2nd PED suspension, per […]
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