One of the more interesting upcoming decisions facing the Atlanta Braves is how the franchise creates needed roster space over the next month of the regular season. In no particular order, Sean Murphy, Spencer Strider, Ha-Seong Kim, Spencer Schwellenbach, and Hurston Waldrep are all expected to return early in the 2026 season. This obviously creates some roster fallout with current pieces needing to be demoted.
With this in mind, let's look at the most obvious current Braves who stand out as pieces deserving of demotion. And that starts with an outfielder who hasn't lived up to expectations through the first weeks of the season.
1. Eli White
White earned a roster spot due to Jurickson Profar's suspension, creating a surprise need for a fourth outfielder. Still, the only thing keeping White rostered right now is a lack of more proven options. The outfielder does offer speed off the bench and the ability to play solid defense in all three spots. What is lacking is offense, with White only offering a pair of hits in 13 at-bats so far this season.
We've seen manager Walt Weiss increasingly shy away from utilizing White, opting to put Jorge Mateo in the lineup at short and move Mauricio Dubon into the outfield. While the outfielder might have been an important piece for the 2025 Braves, it is becoming increasingly clear that he is living on borrowed time.
2. Kyle Farmer
For Braves fans taking a second look at Farmer, yes, the infielder remains on the roster even though Atlanta has rarely utilized him. When Ha-Seong Kim is ready to return, it is clear that Farmer's time with the Braves will come to an end. Dubon is in zero danger of losing his roster spot due to performance and flexibility, making it a two-man race between Farmer and Mateo. The latter is clearly winning, earning more playing time and offering surprising upside at the plate.
Farmer has managed to earn just five plate appearances, but has taken advantage of the opportunities with a pair of hits in limited action. Even with the production, the lack of opportunity from Weiss makes it clear that when the roster gets back to full health, Farmer won't factor into the team's plans.
3. Bryce Elder
For the first two starts of the 2026 season, it appeared that perhaps Elder had turned back the clock and would force the Braves to make a difficult decision. However, the starter's latest appearance was underwhelming, as Elder failed to complete five innings against the Cleveland Guardians, giving up a trio of walks that helped push the game out of Atlanta's reach, with the offense struggling to find life.
All the issues that have presented themselves for Elder over the past two seasons were there in that outing and served as a reminder that the Braves are likely going to turn the page. Unless the starter can go on a truly remarkable run, there isn't enough of a resume to keep Strider, Waldrep, Fuentes, or Schwellenbach from taking his spot in the Atlanta rotation.
4. Joel Payamps
We are weeks into the regular season, and Weiss has trusted Payamps to pitch all of 3.1 innings, which have resulted in four earned runs given up. The rest of Atlanta's bullpen has been on fire to start the year, and Payamps has stood out as an option that fans cannot completely trust. Add in the upcoming demotions from the rotation, and there will be direct fallout with bullpen decisions the Braves must make.
Whoever gets bumped from Atlanta's rotation once the staff is fully healthy is very likely to be given an opportunity in the pen. Payamps is a piece the franchise can easily move on from and expect the replacement to offer better results.
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