It's no secret that the Atlanta Braves were built to win now. Having already paid Ozzie Albies, Chris Sale, Austin Riley, Matt Olson, and Ronald Acuña Jr., there must be a collective sense of urgency to figure out what has gone wrong. Even early on this offseason, the moves are those of a team attempting to contend. This is reflected by bringing veteran closer Raisel Iglesias back and trading for utility infielder Mauricio Dubón. Atlanta is in win-now mode, and after a dumpster fire of a 2025 season, a blockbuster trade is expected.
Looking at Atlanta's current farm system, it becomes clear that the franchise is likely to part ways with one notable prospect. Right-hander JR Ritchie has enjoyed an incredibly solid start to his minor league career and remains the Braves' second-ranked prospect, giving Atlanta a great trade chip that it must utilize to make moves to win now.
Atlanta's roster needs a designated hitter, starting shortstop, setup options, and outfield depth. Trading away Ritchie can help fix these problems without forcing the Braves' front office to spend big bucks in free agency. Looking back at the past two offseasons, it is clear that this front office prefers not to target the league's top-dollar contracts.
Braves Prospect JR Ritchie Heading for Likely Exit After Atlanta's Dismal 2025 Season
All options must be on the table for a roster coming off a frustrating season, despite being built to win now. With this in mind, it would be the right decision to make Ritchie available ahead of the winter meetings next week in an effort to patch at least one hole with your farm system. While weakening your core is a questionable decision, it is the reality of where the Braves have found themselves heading into the offseason.
This is a veteran-laden roster that is supposed to be in the middle of a World Series window. Instead, Atlanta missed the postseason altogether during the 2025 season. This highlights how important making blockbuster moves remains and why parting ways with Ritchie remains very likely. The prospect can be moved as well when you consider the fact that Hurston Waldrep, Spencer Strider, Chris Sale, and Spencer Schwellenbach are already expected to fill out the top four spots in Atlanta's rotation.
What the Braves badly need is to bolster the lineup and bullpen throughout the next two months of the offseason. This is something that Ritchie can help the team accomplish, being included in a potential blockbuster deal. It wouldn't be at all surprising to see Ritchie start his 2026 season in a new uniform.