At this moment in time, the most like "impact" move the Atlanta Braves will make will be for an outfielder. Yes, upgrading shortstop should remain on the table given how bad Orlando Arcia was in 2024 and the Braves have been connected to starting pitching, but nearly all of the buzz around the Braves right now is in the outfield especially given that Ronald Acuna Jr. will miss the first month and a half or so of 2025. However, another need that is becoming pressing is in the bullpen.
With AJ Minter and Jesse Chavez free agents and Joe Jimenez out for at least most of 2025, the Braves' bullpen looks surprising shallow at the moment. Raisel Iglesias was really good last season and guys like Pierce Johnson, Aaron Bummer, Dylan Lee, and Daysbel Hernandez have real value, but this current Atlanta bullpen is as vulnerable as we have seen in a while right now.
Fortunately, the bullpen market this offseason has been the only market that hasn't gone wild this offseason. A reunion with Minter could make sense and there are a number of closing and non-closing free agent relievers available. However, there is an interesting trade candidate potentially available in the Reds' Alexis Diaz which could fill a short-term and long-term need for the Braves.
Several teams, including the Nationals and Rays have shown interest in right-handed reliever Alexis Díaz, sources tell @MLBNerds. The Reds have been shopping him around and are open to moving him. Díaz, 28, posted a 91 ERA- in 56.1 IP last season.
— Jack Azoulay-Haron (@AzoulayHaron) December 19, 2024
Braves should target Alexis Diaz in a trade despite his flaws
There is a lot to like about acquiring Diaz even if the provenance of this particular rumor has yet to confirmed by any of the usual national media sources. Diaz has experience in a closing role which definitely matters given that Iglesias is a free agent after next season, would come with three years of team control, and he has nasty stuff especially his slider. Young, high upside relievers are not always easy to come by and the Braves could have a chance to buy-low on one of the ones with the highest ceiling in the league with Diaz.
Of course, there are some problems here. Cincinnati is certainly trying to compete especially in the wake of hiring Terry Francona as their manager, so any deal for Diaz is likely going to be very costly given the amount of team control he would come with. The normal motivation for the Reds to move players is usually cost, but Diaz is only projected to get around $3 million in arbitration this year which removes a lot of that motivation for the Reds.
Another issue is that Diaz has a real problem with walks which usually is something the Braves work to avoid. In Diaz's three seasons in the big leagues, he has averaged a 4.8 BB/9 walk rate which is really high especially for a high leverage reliever. On top of that, Diaz's normally stellar strikeout numbers regressed in a big way in 2024 with both his four-seamer and slider getting significantly less whiffs last season.
Ultimately, a trade for Diaz would depend on whether or not Atlanta thinks they can "fix" Diaz and get him to throw enough strikes to justify the likely cost to acquire him. However, Diaz's down year in 2024 where he posted a 3.99 ERA with a big strikeout dip could (and probably should) mitigate that cost and the upside with Diaz is too high for Atlanta to completely discount him as an option especially the warts that a lot of the more expensive (in dollars) free agent relievers would come with.