The Braves haven’t made any notable moves this offseason, but they did make a couple of acquisitions today, taking two players in the Rule 5 draft, adding right-hander Anderson Pilar from the Marlins and shortstop Christian Cairo from the Guardians.
Ahead of the Rule 5, the Braves protected Rolddy Muñoz. The 24-year-old had an okay 2024 campaign, finishing the season with a 4.24 ERA in 38 appearances (one start) across the High-A and Double-A levels. He struck out 75 batters, issued 22 walks, and allowed three homers over 51 innings.
As for the two players the Braves added today, Pilar posted a 2.64 ERA in 58 innings in the 2024 campaign, striking out 71 batters to just 13 walks across three levels. He’s actually an intriguing arm with swing-and-miss stuff, especially with Joe Jimenez out for what could be the entire year and A.J. Minter potentially leaving in free agency.
Cairo, on the other hand, isn’t as sexy of a prospect. His sub-.700 OPS from last season isn’t anything to write home about, but he’s well-versed all over the infield and has plenty of experience in Triple-A. Given the current backup infielders on the Braves roster, he will compete for a roster spot in Spring Training.
While Braves fans are understandably anxious for Alex Anthopoulos to make a move that will impact the major league roster, there’s plenty of offseason left. The Chris Sale trade didn’t happen until the end of last year. Anthopoulos deserves the benefit of the doubt, so buckle up Braves Country.
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Photographer: Larry Radloff/Icon Sportswire
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