The Braves are smack dab in the middle of a lengthy championship window. They should be looking to add rather than subtract to their roster, but they do have a couple of major-league players that could be moved this offseason. According to Joel Reuter of Bleacher Report, the Braves most likely candidate to be traded is Michael Soroka.
Atlanta Braves: RHP Michael Soroka
Michael Soroka looked like he would be a long-term staple in the Atlanta Braves rotation when he finished 13-4 with a 2.68 ERA, 1.11 WHIP and 142 strikeouts in 174.2 innings as a rookie during the 2019 season.
However, injuries limited him to just three total starts over the next three seasons, and he struggled to a 6.40 ERA in 32.1 innings when he finally returned to the mound in 2023, spending much of the year trying to shake off the rust at Triple-A.
With no minor league options remaining and a $3 million projected salary in his final year of arbitration eligibility, he is a candidate to be non-tendered. Before they simply cut ties for nothing, expect the Braves to shop him on the trade block.
This is a conversation I’ve had several times leading up to this offseason. Michael Soroka’s future in Atlanta is uncertain, to say the least. He’s entering his final year of arbitration and is scheduled to make $3 million. The Braves probably wouldn’t have much of an issue paying that; where the problem arises is that he’s out of options, meaning he has to be on the major-league roster this season or be designated for assignment.
Because of that, Michael Soroka is a legitimate non-tender candidate. However, as Reuter mentions, a better option for the Braves could be tendering him a contract and then attempting to trade him to a team that can afford to keep him on the major-league roster the entire season. It will likely be a rebuilding team, and Soroka probably doesn’t have a ton of trade value, but they should at least the able to get something for his services in a trade.
The Braves could also go a similar route with Eddie Rosario. He has a $9 million option for 2024. The Braves could just decline it if they desire to move on, but perhaps the better course of action would be to pick up the option and then trade him for some sort of asset.
In both scenarios, the Braves wouldn’t get a ton in return, but even acquiring a middle reliever would be better than letting Soroka and Rosario walk for nothing.
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Photo: Larry Radloff/Icon Sportswire
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