Braves kick off trade deadline with addition by subtraction

Tyler Kinley is an intriguing acquisition. His 5.66 ERA would suggest he probably shouldn’t even be on a major-league roster, but his 4.14 FIP is much more encouraging. Kinley’s peripherals also paint the picture of an arm with some potential, reminiscent of Pierce Johnson when the Braves acquired him from the Rockies at the 2023 trade deadline.

• 95th percentile in Average Exit Velocity
• 84th percentile in Whiff %
• 83rd percentile in Chase %
• 97th percentile in Hard Hit %
• 82nd percentile in Barrel %
• 62nd percentile in xERA
• 61st percentile in K %

De Los Santos had a rough go of it in his first year with Atlanta, but he never should have been a part of the bullpen in the first place. The Braves decided not to add any relievers during the offseason, throwing a little cash at some lottery tickets, all of which blew up in their face.

Along the same line, the Braves also said goodbye to Rafael Montero, except they were somehow able to get something back in return in a trade with the Tigers.

Jim Jarvis isn’t much of a prospect, but getting anything back for Rafael Montero, who had a 5.50 ERA over 36 appearances for the Braves, is a win. Atlanta’s farm system is really desperate for middle infield depth, and while Jarvis isn’t going to provide much offensively, he’s versatile defensively.

The Braves made some decent moves on the margins ahead of deadline day. Getting rid of Enyel De Los Santos and Rafael Montero is addition by subtraction, and Tyler Kinley is a legitimate bullpen candidate for 2026 that the club acquired for essentially nothing.