Four players the Braves could trade this offseason to free up money

It’s tough to know exactly how much the Braves will have to spend this offseason, thanks to the looming lockout. But if last year is any guide, the number is probably somewhere around $35-45 million.

That’s enough for one or two meaningful additions — but with this many holes to fill, Anthopoulos will almost certainly have to shed some unwanted salary along the way. The good news: the Braves have plenty of it. The bad news: finding teams willing to absorb bad money is a lot easier said than done.

Spencer Strider

Remaining Contract: 2 years, $49 million

Strider is entering the final two guaranteed years of his deal at $22 million annually, with a club option after that for another $22 million (and a $5 million buyout) — bringing the total to $49 million in guarantees.

Anthopoulos has already admitted the Braves can’t count on Strider moving forward. He hasn’t been healthy in years, and even when he’s pitched, the results have been underwhelming. This might be a case where Atlanta simply has to bite the bullet and hope he rediscovers something down the line. But if the Braves were willing to eat roughly half the salary, you’d imagine a pitching-starved team somewhere would take a flier.

This doesn’t feel completely immovable — as long as Strider’s current injury isn’t going to wipe out all of next season too.

Sean Murphy

Remaining Contract: 2 years, $30 million

Murphy has two guaranteed years left at $15 million per season, plus a club option in 2029 for another $15 million.

He’s an interesting case, because I’m not sure how motivated the Braves are to move him. This is an organization that loves stockpiling starting-caliber catchers, and Murphy is finally heading into an offseason at 100%. There’s a real chance his next two years look a lot better than his recent ones, and $15 million a year isn’t an ugly figure.

But that’s also what makes him the most movable. Good catchers are hard to find, and Murphy still brings plenty behind the plate with real offensive upside. If the Braves wanted to find him a new home, they should have no trouble clearing that money off the books.

Reynaldo Lopez

Remaining Contract: 1 year, $8 million

Another deal Atlanta should be able to move this winter. Lopez’s time with the Braves started with a bang — an All-Star nod and a 1.99 ERA in his first season — but fatigue started catching up to him, and then a shoulder injury limited him to a single start the following year. He hasn’t been the same since, posting a 4.54 ERA over 79.1 innings this season.

Heading into 2027, there isn’t much of a role for him in Atlanta, but a team would likely take a flier given how minimal the deal is. The Braves could put that $8 million to better use elsewhere.

Austin Riley

Remaining Contract: 6 years, $132 million

I had to include Austin Riley, because if I didn’t, I’d have gotten asked about it 100 times.

There’s no question Riley is the biggest albatross contract on the Braves’ books right now. He’s coming off a career-worst season in which he was a below-average player at his position, and his steady year-over-year decline is especially alarming for someone owed $22 million annually over the next six years.

But I just don’t see a world where a Riley trade actually happens this offseason. Teams will call — the offers will just be so low that it makes far more sense for the Braves to roll the dice and bet on a bounce-back after a full, healthy winter. Remember: this time last year, everyone wanted to ship Michael Harris II out for a bag of baseballs, and he turned into Atlanta’s best player this season.

I’m not sold Riley can’t turn it around, and I don’t think the Braves are either — which is exactly why Anthopoulos accepting a lowball offer feels like a long shot.

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Photo: IMAGO / ZUMA Press Wire