Braves option Bryce Elder

Sometimes, life is not fair. Everybody has been pitching well for the Braves of late, including Elder, who has put together his best stretch of baseball since the first half of 2023. He’s gone at least five innings in each of his last five starts, boasting a more than respectable 3.10 ERA. He didn’t deserve to be the one who got the boot, but somebody had to make room for the Braves’ ace.

About the only other option that seemed feasible was moving Grant Holmes back to the bullpen. Atlanta could certainly use another relief arm, and Holmes thrived in the role last season. However, he’s also really impressed as a starting pitcher this year, and his upside is far greater than that of Elder. This was absolutely the correct decision by the Braves. Elder did his job; no reason to push their luck any longer than they have to.