SP Involved in Unusual Braves Offseason Move Pouring Salt in Open Wound

There are few members of the Atlanta Braves organization experiencing a strong 2025 season. That includes Braves general manager Alex Anthopoulos.

While it's not fair to blame Anthopoulos for players underperfoming, it's the GM's job to anticipate where potential player regression could occur. He badly failed to do that with the team's offense and bullpen.

But one of his more odd moves of last offseason involved starting pitcher Griffin Canning hasn't worked either. While the Braves are entering the second week of June on a seven-game losing streak, Canning is pitching very well for the New York Mets.

Let me jog your memory of Canning's brief time in Atlanta.

On Oct. 31, the Braves sent outfielder Jorge Soler to the Los Angeles Angels for Canning. The trade allowed Atlanta to dump Soler's $13 million in salary for the 2025 season. All the Braves had to do was take on a starter who went 6-13 with a 5.19 ERA in 2024.

But it gets better, at least from a financial perspective, for Atlanta. The Braves exercised their right to non-tender Canning. That got the team off the hook altogether for the $13 million.

In essence, the Braves received a lot more financial flexibility with the Soler trade and Canning dump.

The problem, though, is the Braves weren't able to really take advantage of the extra financial flexibility. They signed outfielder Jurickson Profar as their only significant offseason move, and Profar received an 80-game suspension during the season's first week.

Meanwhile, Canning signed a one-year, $4.25 million contract with the New York Mets and is experiencing his best MLB season. In 12 starts, Canning has posted a 6-2 record with a 2.90 ERA, 1.322 WHIP and 57 strikeouts in 59 innings.

In his last start versus the Los Angeles Dodgers on June 4, Canning pitched six shutout innings while allowing only three hits with seven strikeouts and one walk. Canning hasn't given up more than three earned runs in a game since April 11.

Now, to be fair to Anthopoulos, he bet on Grant Holmes, AJ Smith-Shawver and Bryce Elder replacing Max Fried and Charlie Morton in the starting rotation this offseason. Anthopoulos' bet was right. Those three pitchers have performed well this season (in Smith-Shawver's case, at least until his injury).

With Canning, the Braves may very well be in the same place they are now -- in fourth place and nearly a dozen games below .500.

But if the Braves had recognized the untapped potential in Canning, could the team have avoided signing injured Reynaldo López to an extension that guaranteed him another $4 million? Maybe the Braves could have used Canning as another starter to give struggling Spencer Strider or 36-year-old Chris Sale additional rest?

At the very least, the Braves wouldn't have to live with the fact a pitcher that was on their offseason roster for a month is helping the Mets lead the NL East.