BREAKING: Braves’ Trade Deadline Plans in Shambles After Shocking Devers Deal!

The Atlanta Braves managed to frustrate their fan base yet again on Sunday, squandering a brilliant 15-strikeout performance by Grant Holmes in a lopsided 10-1 loss to the lowly Colorado Rockies. Just hours earlier, USA Today’s Bob Nightengale reported that league executives believe Braves GM Alex Anthopoulos has “zero interest” in trading players for prospects at the deadline. Those two developments feel completely at odds with each other.

Now sitting at 31-39 heading into Monday’s games, Atlanta trails the NL East leader by a daunting 13 games. Catching up in the division seems out of reach, and while a Wild Card berth isn’t entirely off the table, it’s a steep climb—made even tougher by the San Francisco Giants’ blockbuster trade for Rafael Devers. With a 41-31 record and control of the second Wild Card spot, the Giants just put more distance between themselves and Atlanta—and added a major power bat in the process.

Unless Anthopoulos is playing a long game or trying to bluff with more than a month to go before the deadline, this could be shaping up as a major misstep. Braves fans better hope there’s a bigger plan in motion.

To be fair, Atlanta has reason to believe in its roster. Despite a disappointing season so far, the core includes multiple stars and has consistently been among MLB’s best in recent years. Giving them a chance to turn things around isn’t unreasonable.

But at some point, the standings speak for themselves. The Braves aren’t in playoff position now, and the Devers trade only widens the gap. If Atlanta was already nine games behind San Francisco before Devers, how much worse does the outlook get now?

If the Braves aren’t overtaking the Giants, they’ll have to leapfrog the Phillies or Padres—two teams that have had Atlanta’s number and are expected to be active buyers next month. It all paints a grim picture for 2025.

There’s still time for things to shift, and Anthopoulos doesn’t need to make a move immediately. But unless things change quickly, it’s hard to justify holding onto pending free agents like Marcell Ozuna beyond the deadline. With Devers now in the mix out west, that window of opportunity may be closing fast.