After a disastrous start to the 2025 MLB season, the Atlanta Braves are slowly but surely starting to find their footing, and still have aspirations of winning the National League East, and potentially the NL Pennant.
Atlanta will return starter Spencer Strider shortly, and Ronald Acuña Jr is set to return after a year-long rehab at the end of the month.
With a four-game series win over the Washington Nationals, the Braves are finally above the .500 mark, but even with their high level of play as of late, the bullpen has been a bit shaky for Atlanta.
The Braves could seek the trade market to help bolster the backend of their bullpen.
The Trade Idea
In a recent trade prediction, the Braves land star reliever Pete Fairbanks from the Tampa Bay Rays in return for starter AJ Smith-Shawver.
Atlanta’s closer, Raisel Iglesias, who had been dominant in both 2023 and 2024, has been inconsistent through the first month and a half of this season. This doesn’t mean the Braves would trade Iglesias, but rather look for another potential option to help close out games.
In a recent piece by Bleacher Report’s Joel Reuter, he identified whether or not teams will be buyers and sellers at MLB’s trade deadline, and who are good trade options. For the Braves, Reuter indicated that they would be buyers, and that “closer” is their much-needed positional upgrade. Here is what Reuter had to say about the Braves’ situation:
“After years as one of the best closers in baseball, Raisel Iglesias is off to an ugly start this season, converting just 6-of-9 save chances with a 6.06 ERA and 1.41 WHIP in 17 appearances. He has allowed six home runs in 16.1 innings, and his 6.29 FIP and dip in velocity raise some serious questions about his ability to turn things around.”
Fairbanks is off to another solid start to a season for the Rays. In 17 innings, he has a 2.65 ERA and has recorded eight saves. In the same piece from Bleacher Report, Reuter indicated that the Rays may be sellers if they are not competing in the American League East by July, and Fairbanks was named a top option.
“Veterans Brandon Lowe and Yandy Díaz are both trade candidates for the Rays, given their hefty salaries, but Fairbanks is the team’s most attractive trade candidate. He has 56 saves in 65 chances since the start of the 2023 season, with a 3.01 ERA, 1.12 WHIP, and 10.7 K/9 in 113 appearances during that span. His $3.8 million salary this year will fit any team’s budget, and he also has a reasonable $7 million club option for 2026.”
What Will the Braves Do for Now?
The Braves will likely stick with Iglesias as their closer for now. He recorded 77 combined saves with Atlanta over the 2023 and 2024 seasons. However, adding another flamethrower in Fairbanks would relieve some of the pressure off Iglesias, as Fairbanks also can close out games.
Reuter makes a great point that Fairbanks’ contract is very team-friendly for the production he gives, and if he performs well wherever he may land, that team could also take on his player option if they so wish.
Atlanta Braves Trade Proposal Lands Important Bullpen Arm