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With free agency prices inflated, the expectation is that Alex Anthopoulos will go big game hunting in the trade market, which has been his M.O. since the Braves won the World Series back in 2021.
Unfortunately, Atlanta’s farm system isn’t robust with prospects to dangle on the trade block. Drake Baldwin is one of the club’s top young talents, and he plays a premium position. A.J. Smith-Shawver still needs to refine his craft, but his potential is sky-high. One prospect has reportedly been off-limits in trade talks, though.
Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reported: “Many teams have unsuccessfully tried to land the club’s No. 3 prospect RHP Hurston Waldrep, who might fall into the untouchable category,” which was also reported by Mark Bowman later that day.
Should Braves top prospect Hurston Waldrep be untouchable?
Waldrep was taken in the first round of the 2023 draft. Coming out of Florida, his splitter was heralded as a unicorn pitch, but his short stint with the major league club went pretty poorly, posting a 16.71 ERA and 2.429 WHIP across just seven innings in two starts.
Granted, he found much more success in the minor leagues, and most would agree the Braves rushed him to the majors far too quickly. He hadn’t even had anywhere close to a full season in the minors before making his MLB debut. In 27 starts across two seasons stretching from Augusta to Gwinnett, Waldrep posted a 3.01 ERA and 1.410 WHIP. Most recently in Triple-A Gwinnett, he tossed 40.0 innings in eight starts, allowing 15 earned runs.
Waldrep’s biggest issue is control right now, something that can plague pitchers their entire careers if not fixed. Even with the 3.38 ERA with the Stripers this past season, he still walked 5.4 batters per nine innings. That’s entirely too high, but control issues are very normal for young arms making the jump from college to professional baseball.
Waldrep hasn’t shown anything from a box score standpoint that warrants the “untouchable” tag, but the stuff is undeniable, even if he probably needs to develop another pitch to go with his splitter-fastball combination.
With that being said, Alex Anthopoulos has batted nearly 1.000 when it comes to deciding which players to hang onto and which to include in trades, the lone exception being William Contreras. If the Braves feel Hurston Waldrep is worth hanging onto, who is anyone to argue with him?
Still, in the Braves current scenario, no prospect should be viewed as untouchable. This is a team in the middle of their championship window that is coming off three disappointing first-round exits in the postseason, and they have a ton of holes to fill this offseason. The rest of the NL East is only improving, and the Braves need to do the same. If moving Hurston Waldrep is what’s needed to land a proven star player, it must be considered.
More must-reads:
- New Angels pitcher Grayson Rodriguez reveals interesting health update after Orioles trade
- Raisel Iglesias spurned Dodgers to remain with Braves
- The 'NFL single-game completions leaders' quiz
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Red Sox acquire catching prospect, 2025 14th-round pick Luke Heyman in trade with Mariners
As part of a flurry of roster moves on Tuesday, the Red Sox acquired three minor leaguers in three separate trades with the White Sox, Rockies, and Mariners. This article will focus on Boston acquiring catching prospect Luke Heyman from Seattle for minor league right-hander Alex Hoppe, who was eligible for next month’s Rule 5 Draft but has since been added to the Mariners’ 40-man roster to nullify that. Heyman, 22, was selected by the Mariners in the 14th round (422nd overall) of the 2025 draft out of the University of Florida. The Altamonte Springs, Fla. native received an over-slot $230,000 signing bonus but did not appear in a game for one of Seattle’s affiliates due to a fractured forearm that prematurely ended his junior season in May. Before the injury, Heyman batted .301/.397/.578 with seven doubles, one triple, 13 home runs, 44 RBIs, 37 runs scored, 22 walks, and 38 strikeouts over 49 games (204 plate appearances) for the Gators this past spring en route to earning All-SEC First Team honors. The right-handed hitter was ranked as Baseball America’s No. 127 draft-eligible prospect before dropping to the 14th round in July. “Heyman offers plus raw power and improving swing decisions,” his pre-draft Baseball America scouting report reads. “He generates carry and lift to the pull side, even on pitches thrown in the outer half of the zone. While Heyman struggled somewhat with offspeed pitches, particularly changeups, he crushed velocity, a byproduct of solid bat speed and rhythm. He stays balanced through his swing and can punish mistakes over the plate.” On the other side of the ball, Heyman saw the vast majority of his playing time this season come at catcher. The 6-foot-4, 220-pounder made 45 starts behind the plate for the Gators and allowed just three passed balls while throwing out 11 of 45 possible base stealers. He also has prior experience at first base. “Heyman is a well-below-average athlete, which shows up in his limited range of motion, choppy running stride, and heavy lower half,” his scouting report continues. “Scouts believe he has a chance to stick behind the plate thanks to above-average arm strength and improved receiving and blocking. He presented pitches more cleanly than in years past and showed a feel for handling a staff.” Heyman, who does not turn 23 until next July, is a candidate to make his professional debut with Low-A Salem to start the 2026 season, though he could be a fast riser through Boston’s farm system. Like fellow trade addition Ronny Hernandez, Heyman provides the Red Sox with some much-needed catching depth.
Texas HC Steve Sarkisian gives bold claim on job rumors
Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian has been a popular name in both the NFL and college football coaching cycles. It makes sense, too. He's brought Texas back to being competitive and in the championship hunt, but he also has a wealth of great experience as an assistant in both college and the NFL. He's about as well-rounded a candidate as you'll find, so of course, programs like the Florida Gators, LSU Tigers or even the New York Giants may be interested to see if he's interested. The thing is, though, he's not. Or, at the very least, that's what he's telling the media. He's all-in with the Longhorns, according to comments he made on a recent SEC teleconference call. “I’d like to comment something before I get into our team that has been bothering me now over the past few weeks. That is people reporting that are insinuating that there’s a possibility I could leave the University of Texas, and that is absolutely false and untrue," Sarkisian said (h/t On3). "I’m not going anywhere. Never do I do this because I never want to be a distraction, so I never address these things. At this point, I feel like this is important that I do this because it’s important for our team. It’s important for our university." Steve Sarkisian has deep roots in Austin and is all-in with Texas As if that weren't clear enough, Sarkisian said that he has not had any discussions with anybody about coaching elsewhere. He even went as far as to say that even his agent hasn't spoken to anyone. Sometimes coaches can say publicly that they aren't talking about any opportunities while, in the meantime, their agents are working backchannels and putting something together. He could be lying, of course, because college football history is full of head coaches saying one thing and doing another. A full-throated statement like this seems to be a pretty clear indication that Sarkisian is serious about what he's saying, though. Heck, he went as far as calling Austin home, which is a pretty big deal for a coach to say. Those guys aren't used to staying in one place for too long. With that said, Sarkisian does have two kids actually enrolled at Texas, one on the football team. He has a third kid he wants to go to Texas in the near future. He also just had a baby. Sarkisian has roots in Austin. He also has high aspirations for the Longhorns. “We came here to win championships," he said. "We’ve built a damn good football program over the five years that we’ve been here. We’ve been to two College Football Playoffs. We won a Big 12 Championship. We went to the SEC Championship game in Year 1. We’ve had 23 players drafted the last two years, which is more than any other school in the country and our team GPA is at an all-time high. “Can we please stop putting things out there that you have absolutely zero evidence on? Can we please stop retweeting and putting it back out there as if it’s true? As if it’s the gospel? It is not true."
Michael Penix Jr.'s partially torn ACL complicates Falcons' future
The Atlanta Falcons' once bright future has turned sour. On Wednesday, reports confirmed that second-year quarterback Michael Penix Jr. suffered a partially torn ACL, requiring surgery that will have him out until mid-August 2026. Without a training camp or full preseason, Penix's status for the start of the 2026 season is in doubt. Michael Penix Jr.'s injury update complicates Falcons' future When controversially selecting Penix at No. 8 overall in the 2024 NFL Draft, one month after signing Kirk Cousins to a contract worth $180 million ($100M guaranteed), Falcons general manager Terry Fontenot reasoned that it would provide stability once Cousins eventually moved on after years spent trying to find former longtime starter Matt Ryan's replacement. Instead, Atlanta is still without a legitimate franchise quarterback. And absent what's trending toward becoming a top-10 first-round pick after a misguided 2025 draft-day trade with the Los Angeles Rams, the Falcons won't have many good options to improve at the position this offseason. Penix's injury could put the team in a difficult spot next offseason, when Atlanta must decide whether to pick up his 2028 fifth-year option. The 2023 Heisman finalist may only qualify for the basic amount, which is projected to be $22.933M for the 2023 first-round quarterback class. That number would rise for the 2024 class, and that's a considerable amount for a player who hasn't proved to be worth that much. (h/t Over the Cap) In 12 career starts, Penix is 224-of-376 (59.6 percent) for 2,719 yards, 12 touchdowns and six interceptions. Penix will need to show a lot next year, coming off reconstructive knee surgery, to solidify himself as part of Atlanta's future plans. That doesn't bode well for him or the Falcons, who have several outstanding contract situations to resolve. Tight end Kyle Pitts, the No. 4 overall pick of the 2021 NFL Draft, is on an expiring deal. He's been a huge disappointment, but the Falcons don't have a viable replacement behind him. Wideout Drake London is set to play on his fifth-year rookie option next season and would be a holdout candidate if he's unable to work out a long-term deal. Two-time second-team All-Pro safety Jessie Bates III is also set to play on an expiring deal and should request an extension before taking the field next year. Owner Arthur Blank must determine how much money is worth putting into a team that might be a season or two away from contending, possibly leading to difficult conversations. Players like London, Bates and running back Bijan Robinson, who will be in his fourth NFL season in 2026, would command massive returns on the trade market. As talented as the three are, they're being wasted in Atlanta, which has nothing to show for their contributions. With Penix set for a long recovery timeline, things are unlikely to improve much next season, setting the trio up for another year compiling meaningless stats. The Falcons will eventually have to make decisions on all of their young stars, including Penix. His season-ending injury gives them fewer data points to make an informed call while also stalling his development. A season that began with hope has slowly morphed into another nightmare for Atlanta. It could be a while before the Falcons wake.
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Wild Jalen Hurts stat shows he's not the problem with Eagles offense
The Philadelphia Eagles' offense has not been as explosive since Kevin Patullo took over as the new offensive coordinator. The play-calling has been pretty predictable, and, according to The Athletic's Dianna Russini, some players blame quarterback Jalen Hurts for it. "Multiple offensive players have grown frustrated with Jalen Hurts' approach this season, particularly against zone coverage," Russini reported. However, advanced stats indicate that the Eagles aren't maximizing the talents of the reigning Super Bowl MVP. Jalen Hurts has been elite in deep throws this season According to Pro Football Focus on X, Hurts has seven touchdowns, zero interceptions and an outstanding passer rating of 128.2 in throws over 20 yards this season. The Eagles keep running a very conservative offense, even though, per Sharp Football Stats, 10% of their pass plays (55) have been explosive. Explosive pass plays are those that result in a gain of at least 20 yards. Hurts has been absolutely elite in those situations, and with two speedy receivers like A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith, this team should be taking more shots down the field. Although they aren't as dominant as last season, the Eagles are still 8-2 and at the top of the NFC East. They have all the resources needed to return to the Super Bowl, and anything less than another deep postseason run should be seen as a failure. Then again, the coaching staff needs to put the players in a position to succeed, and that includes letting them do what they do best.
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