Braves reportedly lost bidding war to Mets for Cy Young-caliber arm, NL wins leader, 2X All-Star

The Atlanta Braves entered free agency with supreme confidence, especially after completing a few quick deals early in the offseason. The only issue left unresolved was adding one more qualified starter. Atlanta chose to stand pat with its current roster, a decision that has proven costly following multiple injuries to the rotation.

“The Braves opened camp this morning with an unwelcome update on talented young righty Spencer Schwellenbach. He’s been placed on the 60-day injured list due to inflammation in his right elbow, per Mark Bowman of MLB.com. The team’s hope is that the 25-year-old is dealing with bone spurs and not something more nefarious,” MLB Trade Rumors’ Steve Adams wrote.

Losing Spencer Schwellenbach was already a significant blow, but the situation worsened when Hurston Waldrep also went down with an injury.

“The Atlanta Braves' rotation took another hit Sunday when manager Walt Weiss said right-hander Hurston Waldrep may need surgery to remove ‘loose bodies’ found in his arm. Waldrep complained of discomfort after throwing batting practice. Weiss said an MRI showed no ligament damage, but the team is waiting to learn more after Waldrep has additional tests,” ESPN wrote.

The Braves pursued several big-name pitchers this offseason in an effort to bolster the rotation. One of them, Freddy Peralta, is now a member of the New York Mets. Missing out on him could go down as Atlanta’s biggest miss of the winter.

“News from Rosenthal in here: Among the pitchers Atlanta attempted to acquire over the winter were Brandon Woodruff, Freddy Peralta (which I already talked about) and Sonny Gray,” Braves Today’s Lindsay Crosby wrote.

Missing out on the 2025 NL wins leader is a major setback, and in light of the recent injuries, Atlanta likely wishes it had pushed harder to land him. By this point in most offseasons, the Braves have typically made a splash trade, but this winter consisted primarily of signings.

Atlanta is aiming to return to the postseason after missing last year, but with a depleted pitching staff, that goal becomes much more difficult. Peralta would have strengthened not only an injury-riddled rotation but a fully healthy one as well.

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