Things have been infuriatingly quiet on the Atlanta Braves front for a while now. It seemed like Atlanta was gearing up to make some waves this offseason after they trimmed their payroll and they were connected to some big names to varying degrees at points, but the end result has been very little in the way of real roster moves. Now, there's a chance the Braves will reset their luxury tax penalties which makes impact moves even more unlikely.
However, that doesn't mean there is nothing to talk about when it comes to the Braves. Here are the latest goings on with the official Atlanta professional baseball club.
Braves postseason here Tyler Matzek to hold showcase to try and save his career
Braves fans will never forget Tyler Matzek's performance in the 2021 postseason that was critical to Atlanta getting to the World Series at all. While the subsequent seasons for Matzek haven't been nearly as kind as he has dealt with injuries, he has already etched his name in Braves lore forever.
After another lost season in 2024, Matzek hit free agency with a very uncertain future as a 34-year-old reliever coming off some pretty serious arm troubles. However, it sounds like Matzek has been hard at work trying to regain his former form and is holding a showcase for scouts on Thursday as he searches for a new contract. One hopes that the Braves are in attendance and he shoves, because it would be great to get him back assuming he is good to go.
Free agent LHP Tyler Matzek, 34, will throw at a showcase for scouts tomorrow in Irvine, Calif. @MLBNetwork
— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) January 22, 2025
Christian Bethancourt continues to hang around after signing with yet another new team
There was a time when Christian Bethancourt was the best catching prospect in baseball and many thought he was going to be a cornerstone of the Braves' roster. However, that was over a decade ago and Bethancourt has since bounced around the league with stints with the Padres, Athletics, Rays, Marlins, and Cubs.
Well, he is still somehow hanging around. After putting up some decent numbers with the Cubs in 2024, Bethancourt signed a minor league deal with the Blue Jays with an invite to spring training. Pretty wild that he is still around at all, so good for him.
Hype around Braves pitching prospect Didier Fuentes is starting to build
Most Braves fans are familiar with the pitching prospects near the top of the rankings as guys like AJ Smith-Shawver, Hurston Waldrep, and Cam Caminiti pretty well-known at this point. However, Braves fans shouldn't sleep on Didier Fuentes who is starting to get some recognition as well from Baseball America and others.
After a strong season in 2024 in low-A where he posted a 2.74 ERA in 18 appearances (17 starts) with very encouraging swing and miss stuff, Fuentes' funky low slot delivery and fastball/slider combo is poised to ascend minor league ranks quickly. He definitely could use a more diverse arsenal of pitches if he wants to stick in the rotation, but Fuentes is only 19 years old and has plenty of time to figure things out.