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Talking Chop

https://www.talkingchop.com/ | 716 entries published

Your one stop shop for everything Atlanta Braves

Latest Entries

Could choice to not pursue outside starting pitching come to haunt Braves in 2026?

So, I guess they’re really doing this, huh? We’ve been hearing more and more from the Braves (particularly President of Baseball Operations/GM Alex Anthopoulos) about how the club is reportedly pretty confident in their internal options and are willing to let the fifth spot in the rotation be an open competition instead of going out […]

14 days ago | 2 reads

Who will be the next head of the MLBPA?

Well, that happened all in a hurry. Tony Clark is out, and he’s out not because of some politicized or tactical derailment, but because of what looks like a series of bad personal decisions. The news of his resignation apparently came as a shock to players, who now need to approve interim leadership as they […]

MLB

14 days ago | 0 reads

Braves News: Dominic Smith added on minors deal, pitching notes, and more

The Atlanta Braves made a minor move on Tuesday and added infielder Dominic Smith on their list of non-roster invites to spring training. Smith, 30, spent the 2025 season in San Francisco, where he appeared in 63 games. He spent the majority of his time at first base, but also appeared in right field and […]

14 days ago | 1 read

Jurickson Profar getting more time as a DH is a good idea

The outfield figures to be a position of strength for the Atlanta Braves as they head into the 2026 season. The signing of Mike Yastrzemski could end up being a bit of a coup, as Yaz can provide some solid production at any part of the outfield. As a matter of fact, Yaz figures to […]

15 days ago | 2 reads

MLBPA Director Tony Clark to resign, per report

“Please, no more Braves injury news,” you all collectively begged the Large Language Model in the sky that is in charge of simulating our collective existence. Well, it heard your entreaties, and has responded in kind: It’s a bombshell of a Tuesday morning news drop, but at least it’s not, “Matt Olson and Chris Sale […]

15 days ago | 1 read

What will Sean Murphy produce in 2026?

Prior entries: Ah, Sean Murphy. There’s a long tradition of guys being the guy to draw the most rancor debate-wise in Braves fandom, and, well, Sean Murphy bears that mantle now. No one was complaining about Murphy shortly into the 2023 season, or in the aftermath of that season, but things haven’t gone great for […]

15 days ago | 4 reads

Braves News: Top Prospects, Austin Riley, More

For once, the Braves were able to make it through a day without any further injury news (knock on wood that becomes the norm.) And while Monday was a slow news day overall, it was fun to see JR Ritchie and Didier Fuentes named in the top 100 prospects at Fangraphs. While it is surprising […]

15 days ago | 3 reads

Braves have two prospects in 2026 FanGraphs Top 100 List

With real baseball games just around the corner FanGraphs released their Top 100 Prospect List for 2026. Only two Braves prospects make the list this year with JR Ritchie leading the way coming in at No. 68 overall, while Didier Fuentes comes in at No. 90 on the list. This is the highest we’ve seen […]

16 days ago | 1 read

Braves News: Hurston Waldrep, Jurickson Profar, More

It has been less than a week since the start of 2026 Spring Training arrived, and the it feels like the 2025 bad injury luck for the Braves never ended. It feels like every day comes with a new injury update, and while some may be positive, the negative updates seem to always be of […]

17 days ago | 1 read

Spring Training open thread: February 15

If you’re having a long weekend then congratulations on avoiding the Sunday scaries this week. The floor is now yours and here’s a random clip:

MLB

17 days ago | 0 reads

Hurston Waldrep out indefinitely with “loose bodies” in elbow

That Atlanta Braves have taken another blow to their potential starting rotation with news this afternoon that starting pitcher Hurston Waldrep had an MRI after experiencing discomfort in his elbow while throwing batting practice. The MRI showed “loose bodies” but no ligament damage. Braves manager Walt Weiss met with the media and gave some additional […]

MLB

17 days ago | 0 reads

Is it ok for Baseball to be antiquated?

Some feathers were ruffled in the NBA this week by a couple of teams perceived to be tanking. That’s almost been an everpresent issue in professional sports with a draft. So that’s really not news but I did come across this quote by NBA Commissioner Adan Silver. “If teams are manipulating their performance in order […]

17 days ago | 0 reads

Jurickson Profar had offseason hernia surgery, per report

Well, at least you can file this one under “it shouldn’t theoretically affect the Braves in 2026, I guess,” if it makes you feel any better: This does seem more like a holdover from 2025’s injury woes than a continuation into 2026, but it is what it is. The notable thing here is that once […]

17 days ago | 2 reads

Braves News: Roster predictions, Spring Training, more

There has been a decent bit of discussion around Alex Anthopoulos’ comments regarding essentially only looking to add a starter who would be a middle/top of the rotation guy and not really trying to add just a guy to fit into the back of the rotation. I have conflicted feelings on these comments. A guy […]

18 days ago | 2 reads

Atlanta Braves Valentine’s Day 2026 Opening Day roster projection

Happy Valentine’s Day. Here’s to hearts, roses, chocolates and Atlanta Braves baseball. Well, one out of four ain’t bad. The first week of Spring Training is almost in the books, and there’s already been the notable addition of catcher Jonah Heim and the loss of starting pitcher Spencer Schwellenbach. Projecting the Opening Day roster before […]

MLB

18 days ago | 0 reads

How will the Braves employ ABS this season?

As you may know, MLB will use an automated ball-strike system in nearly all games this season. Teams only get two of these in the first nine innings of a game, which isn’t nearly enough. If an umpire misses less than five ball-strike calls in a game, it’s a very good effort. So they probably […]

18 days ago | 1 read

Braves News: Starting rotation, spring training TV schedule, and more

What once appeared to be a settled fifth starter spot for the Atlanta Braves has quickly turned into one of the more intriguing storylines of camp. With Spencer Schwellenbach’s elbow inflammation muddying the picture, Atlanta now has a legitimate spring competition on its hands. Joey Wentz, Bryce Elder, Hurston Waldrep and José Suarez are all […]

18 days ago | 0 reads

Chris Sale on his future with Braves, won’t challenge via ABS

There has been a big media presence around the Atlanta Braves during this first week of Spring Training which means lots of player availability. Earlier today, Alex Anthopoulos met with the media, and you can read those highlights here. Braves starting pitcher Chris Sale made the media rounds as well, discussion a number of topics, […]

19 days ago | 1 read

Spring Training open tread: February 13

It’s Friday the 13th, folks. If you aren’t into slasher flicks or the Winter Olympics, then hello! Welcome! You’re one of us! Let’s talk baseball! Tomorrow is the day of love, so they say. And to carry that theme, here’s Chris Sale talking about how he wants to retire as an Atlanta Braves player. Would […]

MLB

19 days ago | 0 reads