With the All-Star Game approaching, the Atlanta Braves are floating closer to a grim reality. The Braves enter Saturday’s game against the St. Louis Cardinals with a 41-52 record, and their chances of overcoming a slow start to reach the postseason are fading, sitting 10 games behind the San Francisco Giants for the final Wild Card spot in the National League.
This should make the Braves’ strategy at this month’s trade deadline clear, but who is leaving Atlanta may not be as simple. General manager Alex Anthopoulos has sworn against trading ace Chris Sale and other assets like Raisel Iglesias and Marcell Ozuna have tanked their value with down seasons. But there’s still a gold mine the Braves can use to set themselves up for success next year, and it happens to be one of their key relievers.
Braves Could Get a Solid Return for Pierce Johnson at MLB Trade Deadline
The Athletic’s David O’Brien laid out the Braves’ plans at the trade deadline as well as a few pieces that could be on the move. While Ozuna and Iglesias were listed as possibilities, O’Brien also mentioned that the Braves could trade reliever Pierce Johnson if the Braves could get a controllable reliever, an innings-eating starter, or a middle-infield prospect back in a trade.
Johnson is in the final year of a two-year, $14.25 million contract, but the Braves have a club option for another $7 million in 2026. The right-hander has been one of Atlanta’s top bullpen arms since coming over in a trade from the Colorado Rockies in 2023 and has enjoyed the best 2.5 seasons of his career, posting a 2.77 ERA and 1.16 WHIP in 118 appearances.
That includes a solid 2025 season where Johnson has posted a 1-3 record, 2.67 ERA, and 1.12 WHIP over 36 appearances (33.2 innings). Johnson also has strong 27.3% strikeout and 26.8% whiff rates, but he’s had issues limiting hard contact with a 38.8% hard-hit rate (batted balls with an exit velocity of 95 mph) and an average exit velocity of 89.5 mph according to Baseball Savant.
Johnson’s overall performance could entice the Braves to hold out for an offer they like. But his shortcomings could be enough to convince Atlanta to sell high on a 34-year-old reliever. The Braves should also have a market after Tanner Scott, Carlos Estévez, and Lucas Erceg were traded at last year’s deadline and could get a return that helps spark a resurgence in 2026.
That’s not something Braves fans want to hear right now, but it might be the best approach for a team that is circling the drain.