Is this the offseason the Braves finally trade a piece of their core?

Two years ago, following a second consecutive postseason collapse at the hands of the Phillies after winning 100-plus games, longtime Atlanta journalist Jeff Schultz wasn’t afraid to ask the unpopular question.

“If you’re Anthopoulos, can you afford to bring back effectively the same core of players for the third year in a row, just hoping they’ll figure something out? Because the Phillies certainly have figured out how to win in the postseason and they’ve finished in second place to the Braves in the National League East two straight years.”

The article wasn’t well received at the time. Most of Braves Country had just watched their team win 104 games, with Ronald Acuña Jr. taking home the NL MVP award and the offense shattering a slew of MLB records. Little did anyone know, Philadelphia’s postseason dominance was merely a precursor of what was to come. For the first time since 2018, the Braves failed to win the division in 2024, and this year, they missed the playoffs entirely.

By the trade deadline, Atlanta was all but eliminated from postseason contention, and once again, questions surfaced about whether significant roster changes were needed. This time, however, there was far less pushback from fans.

Alex Anthopoulos remained true to his word that no players under team control for multiple years would be moved, but he did say things would be re-evaluated this offseason, which brings us to the here and now.

The Braves enter the winter with a 2026 payroll already approaching $200 million, just about $20 million shy of where it ended this past season. Both Anthopoulos and team chairman Terry McGuirk have said payroll will rise again, but even if it does, there isn’t enough money to fill every hole — shortstop, rotation, bullpen, and outfield/DH — with top-tier talent.

Nearly all of Anthopoulos’ biggest moves as general manager have come via trade: Matt Olson, Sean Murphy, Chris Sale. But unlike in years past, the Braves no longer have a deep farm system to lean on. It’s consistently ranked near the bottom of the league, and while there’s enough prospect capital to swing a major deal or two, depleting it further would be dangerous for the organization’s long-term outlook.

So, exactly two years after Jeff Schultz questioned whether it was time for the Braves to consider trading members of their core, is this finally the offseason when that prophecy comes to fruition?

It certainly would have been better to do it back then. Almost every player in Atlanta’s lineup was coming off a career year. Now, it’s difficult to gauge what guys like Sean Murphy, Ozzie Albies, or Michael Harris II would even return in a trade, and the Braves certainly have no desire to move stars like Ronald Acuña Jr., Matt Olson, or Austin Riley.

None of these decisions will be easy. But after one of the most disappointing seasons in recent franchise history, perhaps this is the winter Anthopoulos finally hits the button to shake up a core that has lost a lot of its luster.

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