Each day it grows harder for Atlanta Braves fans to remain patient as all of us desperately await a significant transaction. Once the flood gates do open Anthopoulos will have to get creative as the current 40-man roster is at it's capacity. Yes, the winter has been painfully slow, but Anthopoulos sticking with the current 40-man roster all the way until Spring Training is about as likely as any of us hitting the lottery. Eventually Anthopoulos is going to bring in a player that will have an impact on the Major League club, and when that happens he's going to have to trim some fat off the 40-man roster.
Currently, the club has all 40 slots occupied with one space set to be freed up once the team gets Joe Jimenez transferred to the 60-day IL and plenty of fringe Major League players who are out of minor league options still on it it. Let's take a look at the Braves players who are on the cusp of hitting the waiver wire and losing their 40-man roster spot.
Ian Anderson
The former World Series starter hasn't pitched in the majors since August of 2022. Anderson returned from Tommy John surgery last season to pitch in ten games for Gwinnett and finished with a 3.96 ERA. Anderson's career 3.97 ERA, postseason pedigree, and being drafted third overall in 2016 has earned him emotional ties with the fanbase.
As a result, most fans want him to stick around in the organization in 2025. Sadly, Anderson is out of minor league options, so he either has to be on the Opening Day roster or the Braves have to risk losing him to the waiver wire. Given the bulk of options Atlanta has for the fifth starter spot in the rotation, it might be best for Anthopoulos to try and recreate a trade package like he did last offseason in the Aaron Bummer trade. Headlining a package with Anderson plus other players out of minor league options could kill two birds with one stone for Anthopoulos.
What a night from Ian Anderson:
— Gwinnett Stripers (@GoStripers) August 16, 2024
6.0 IP | 3 H | 0 R | 2 BB | 7 K pic.twitter.com/bgLteu6FLq
Angel Perdomo
Atlanta stashed Perdomo in November of 2023 knowing the lefty would miss the 2024 season recovering from injury. Perdomo was effective in a small sample size for the Pirates in 2023, but it's far from a lock he nabs a bullpen spot on Opening Day.
With the certainty of Dylan Lee and Aaron Bummer being viable left-handed options already Perdomo has an uphill battle in earning a 26-man roster spot. Once you include the fact that Perdomo is also out of minor league options...his odds are less than favorable.
Nick Allen
Anthopoulos traded for the scrappy infielder in a move to build some depth earlier this offseason. However, Allen doesn't possess a lot of upside or tools that can serve as a valuable bench piece beyond his defensive acumen at short. In 760 plate appearances in the big leagues, Allen sports just a 53 wRC+ which is rather rough.
Allen is out of options as well and it feels like the Braves can upgrade via veteran in late February. The backup infield role is likely to come from someone who isn't currently on the roster give Allen's offensive shortcomings, although he could sneak onto the roster if the Braves can't find a backup infielder who can actually hit.
Christian Cairo
One of the Braves selections in this year's Rule 5 Draft, Cairo is the son of former big leaguer Miguel Cairo. Atlanta took Cairo in the second round of the Rule 5 Draft grabbing him from the Guardians.
He's a versatile 23 year-old former fourth round pick and his Rule 5 selection gives him a leg up towards making the Opening Day roster. The Braves have to keep Cairo on the 40-man roster since he was a Rule 5 pick or offer him back to the Guardians at a discount. It seems likely that Cairo will be competing with Allen for a roster spot with the loser getting sent packing.
Luke Williams
Williams was on the active roster in Atlanta for most of the 2024 despite not getting a ton of playing time. He played all over the infield diamond, filling in for injured Braves at different moments of the season while being a solid pinch-running option. His light bat doesn't lend a lot of hope for earning the same role in 2025, however.
Because Williams is out of minor league options, don't be surprised if he's in another organization by the beginning of April. Atlanta is clearly bringing in a number of bench options before spring training get started which is at least a hint that they would prefer to get more out of that bench slot than Williams provides.