The Atlanta Braves fell out of contention very quickly in 2025. Last year, they won 89 games and secured the second National League Wild Card spot, but fell short in the first round against the San Diego Padres. This year has not been quite as successful for Atlanta for obvious reasons.
The Braves had several players on expiring contracts, including closer Raisel Iglesias and slugger Marcell Ozuna. However, they opted not to trade those players and, in a sense, were almost buyers at the trade deadline despite being out of contention.
General manager Alex Anthopoulos recently spoke with the media about why he chose not to sell.
"I know there was a ton of speculation — obviously, I read it, I saw all of it for months — about different names. But our goal at this deadline was to focus on guys that could help us in ’26 and beyond," he said.
However, this reasoning doesn't hold a lot of water now that the deadline has passed.
Alex Anthopoulos' excuse not to sell looks weaker by the day
Iglesias has looked good recently despite having a bit of a rough season. He picked up the save on Sunday to complete the Speedway Classic win against the Cincinnati Reds. Given that he is on an expiring contract and that teams tend to overpay for relievers at the trade deadline, it's hard to imagine that there weren't any good offers for the veteran right-hander.
It's one thing to not make a move just for a team to say they did something, but it's another to waste a valuable trade asset. Iglesias has a long track record of success and even received Cy Young consideration in 2021 when he was with the Los Angeles Angels.
The Braves could have at least brought back some valuable prospects in exchange for Iglesias. They may not have been Major League ready, but it can't hurt to bolster the farm system with the team out of contention.
By the same token, the Braves don't need to engage in a total rebuild, and they didn't need to embark on a fire sale. But it still would have been wise to see what they could get in exchange for the veteran reliever.
Now, he can walk in free agency with the Braves having not picked up anything of value for him. He also is not eligible for the qualifying offer, so the Braves can't even bring back a draft pick for him.