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4 hours ago
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The Atlanta Braves know that both the bullpen and starting rotation will be a major focus heading into 2026. The bullpen is likely to receive the most attention, as it represents the team’s greatest area of need. The Braves could bring back a key reliever via their club option.
“So far, he’s proved to be a steal. In 21 games pitched since coming to Atlanta, Kinley has a 0.41 ERA and a 0.73 WHIP over 22 innings of work. He’s averaging nearly a strikeout per inning as well. It was a low-risk gamble that brought high reward. The Braves have the chance to keep him around, and it would be the right call. Next year, he has a $5 million club option with some incentives ($1.5 million total) tied to the number of games pitched. For just $6.5 million, the Braves can retain a quality option for next season. If he doesn’t pan out, then the risk comes at a smaller price tag,” SI’s Harrison Smajovits wrote.
When it comes to starting pitching, the Braves could go all in for Tarik Skubal, who is currently the biggest name on the trade block.
“Okay, this is the big one and also the toughest one to pull off. The Braves want starting pitching depth and there is a good chance that soon-to-be multiple Cy Young winning Tarik Skubal is available in the right trade. Skubal only has one year of team control yet, so perhaps a package similar to the one that successfully landed Kyle Tucker last offseason would be a good starting point for trade talks,” HTHB’s Eric Cole wrote.
Landing Skubal in Atlanta would be a move that Alex Anthopoulos could be praised for for the rest of his career. Skubal is one of the premier arms in baseball today.
Acquiring him would give Atlanta two of the best left-handers in the game. A Skubal-led rotation would be a nightmare matchup for opposing teams.
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