As the Atlanta Braves look to re-establish themselves as contenders, the bullpen appears to be a major question mark.
All-Star closer Raisel Iglesias has dropped off significantly since 2024, and he hasn’t had many reliable firemen in front of him. Braves relievers are 10-for-20 in save opportunities; only the Chicago White Sox have converted a lower percentage.
The Braves will undoubtedly have relief pitching on their trade deadline shopping list. Maybe that reliever would close over Iglesias, maybe they wouldn’t, but the main objective is to lengthen this bullpen in hopes of taking some pressure off the starters.
One Braves writer wants the team to shoot for the moon on the relief pitching market.
In a recent article, FanSided’s Chase Owens named Athletics closer Mason Miller, another 2024 All-Star, as a top prospective trade target for Atlanta at the deadline.
“This move would cost a bit more thanks to Miller’s years of control, which run through 2029. However, with Iglesias’ impending free agency, acquiring Miller would fill a void for years to come,” Owens wrote.
Follow The Sporting News On WhatsApp
“Miller has the type of stuff that excels in October baseball. His league-leading 100.7 mph average on his fastball plays against any lethal hitter. It’s fun to imagine the impact Miller could make on this Braves bullpen as everyone would shift into a more appropriate role.”
So far this season, Miller’s ERA sits at 5.79, and he’s getting hit harder and walking more batters than he did during his dominant 2024 season. However, he still has a whopping 36 strikeouts in his 18 2/3 innings, and his FIP is a much more manageable 3.08.
The bigger concern is that the Athletics seem ill-inclined to trade Miller, even if that’s exactly what a team should do with a standout reliever when their team isn’t ready to contend for the playoffs. And if he doesn’t turn his numbers around, it seems unlikely they’d change their mind while his value is down.
More MLB: Phillies shocking trade proposal swaps Brandon Marsh for Guardians hurler
