Braves 2026

[Frayed Knot]

The Braves, who always seem to start earlier than most in the off-season with a series of small headline moves, resign FA closer Raisel Iglesias to a one year contract.

The soon-to-be (Jan 4th) 36 y/o has been in the ATL pen since being acquired at the trading deadline in 2022 after stints in CIN & ANA

I suppose this doesn't totally kill rumors that the Braves might be on the trail of Sugar Diaz this winter but it certainly lowers the odds.

They then dealt IF Nick Allen to Houston for utility player Mauricio Dubon

[Frayed Knot]

Ha-seong Kim, expected to be the Braves starting SS this season, will be out "four to five months" (presumably from now) following surgery to repair a torn tendon in his right middle finger sustained when he fell on ice back in his native Korea. The Braves selected him off waivers from Tampa in September '25 and then was signed to a one year contract in the off-season.

Kim won a Gold Glove with San Diego in 2023 but has been limited by injuries in the two seasons since.

[Centerfield]

One of the reasons 83 wins was enough to snag the third WC was the rare non-competitive season from the Braves. That's not likely to happen again.

That being said, they were dealt a tough blow today. Spencer Schwellenbach will start the season on the 60 day DL. Elbow inflammation.

https://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/breaking-news/article/braves-to-place-promising-young-starter-spencer-schwellenbach-on-60-day-il-with-elbow-inflammation-172800685.html

[Frayed Knot]

Merger alert!

https://phpbb.cranepoolcompanion.com/viewtopic.php?p=210806&hilit=Braves#p210806

Also, I wonder if Schwellenbach's doctors traced the injury to a lack of vowels in his diet?

[Edgy MD]

A lot of previously impressive hitters, young and old, looked pretty bad for the Braves in 2025.

Some of that was part of an overall offensive backslide leaguewide. It'll be interesting to see if Ozzie Albies and Michael Harris have a comeback in them, or if Ronald Acuna stays healthy, but I tend to be pharma-suspicious of all Braves hitters.

[Centerfield]

Merger alert!

https://phpbb.cranepoolcompanion.com/viewtopic.php?p=210806&hilit=Braves#p210806

Also, I wonder if Schwellenbach's doctors traced the injury to a lack of vowels in his diet?

 

Yikes. Sorry. Mods, please merge!

[Centerfield]

Jurickson Profar suspended 162 games after testing positive for PED a second time.

In case there was any doubt about his outlier year.

[Edgy MD]

The Braves sure paid a lot of money to be left holding that bag.

[Centerfield]

I tend to be pharma-suspicious of all Braves hitters.

[The Hot Corner]

The Braves sure paid a lot of money to be left holding that bag.

 

Does a team still have to pay a player that is suspended for cheating?

[Gwreck]

They do not. But this suspension conveniently occured after all the good free agents signed elsewhere.

Others Busted twice for PEDs:

Manny Ramirez

Robinson Cano

Guillermo Mota

Marlon Byrd

Neifi Perez

Eliezer Alfonzo

Francis Martes

Jean Carlos Mejia

Jennry Mejia (3x, lifetime ban)

[Edgy MD]

The Braves sure paid a lot of money to be left holding that bag.

 

Does a team still have to pay a player that is suspended for cheating?

 

No, but they get the rest of his 2025-2028 contract, in which he has failed to play up to the year that won him the deal.

It is wrong that teams are relieved of the payroll obligation when PED abusers are suspended. If they they were required to still lay out the money (if only to charity), they would take a much greater interest in keeping their players clean.

[Edgy MD]

They do not. But this suspension conveniently occured after all the good free agents signed elsewhere.

Others Busted twice for PEDs:

Manny Ramirez

Robinson Cano

Guillermo Mota

Marlon Byrd

Neifi Perez

Eliezer Alfonzo

Francis Martes

Jean Carlos Mejia

Jennry Mejia (3x, lifetime ban)

 

Notable that Byrd is the only American-born player on the list.

[smg58]

They do not. But this suspension conveniently occured after all the good free agents signed elsewhere.

Others Busted twice for PEDs:

Manny Ramirez

Robinson Cano

Guillermo Mota

Marlon Byrd

Neifi Perez

Eliezer Alfonzo

Francis Martes

Jean Carlos Mejia

Jennry Mejia (3x, lifetime ban)

 

Far too many Mets on this list.

[duan]

Profar is joining a curious ensemble - Robinson Cano being the single biggest exhibit - in the tougher suspension era, of a guy who has got the guaranteed money risking a huge amount to 'get back to where he was'. After last year Profar was clearly on very thin ice, but all he had to do was NOT get caught using PEDs and he'd earn 30 million dollars.

Now, he's halved that money and made it pretty unlikely that he'll ever get more then a Minor league NRI again after he collects his final 15 million.

Why would you take the risk?

[Fman99]

Profar is joining a curious ensemble - Robinson Cano being the single biggest exhibit - in the tougher suspension era, of a guy who has got the guaranteed money risking a huge amount to 'get back to where he was'. After last year Profar was clearly on very thin ice, but all he had to do was NOT get caught using PEDs and he'd earn 30 million dollars.

Now, he's halved that money and made it pretty unlikely that he'll ever get more then a Minor league NRI again after he collects his final 15 million.

Why would you take the risk?

 

Maybe being suspended is easier than being on the field and being a disappointment because he sucks much more than a person with his salary should.

[The Hot Corner]

...Why would you take the risk?

 

I don't believe MLB baseball players are, in general, noted for being cerebral intellectuals and deep thinkers.

[Centerfield]

Spencer Strider will start the season on the IL. Oblique strain. No timeline. 

[Frayed Knot]

Dom Smith: .357/.400/.571 w/2 HRs & 8 RBI

OK so it's just 30 PA (29 vs RHPs), but that also means that in 30 PA he's got more HRs than Lindor, Bichette, Soto, and Polanco combined and as many or more than every Met individually except for Alvarez (3)