Pierce Johnson and Tyler Kinley were both relievers that Atlanta Braves front office head Alex Anthopoulos has struck deals with the Colorado Rockies for. Last season, fans saw how effective Johnson and Kinley were once they got out of Coors Field, and now Anthopoulos is hoping he can hit on some of that same magic.
On Wednesday, the Braves traded with the Rockies in exchange for Ryan Rolison on Wednesday afternoon in exchange for cash considerations, as Atlanta begins to stockpile arms in the months prior to spring training.
Rolison is a former first round pick in the 2018 draft battled injuries before he eventually made his MLB debut last May with the Rockies. Rolison's rookie campaign wasn't very encouraging as the former Ole Miss lefty posted a 7.02 ERA, 6.75 FIP, and -0.3 bWAR in just over 42 innings with Colorado.
#Braves acquired LHP Ryan Rolison from the Colorado Rockies for exchange for cash. Rolison, 28, had a 7.02 ERA in 31 appearances as a rookie in 2025, with 25 Ks, 20 walks and 11 homers allowed in 42
— David O'Brien (@DOBrienATL) November 19, 2025
1/3 innings.
Braves trade for Ryan Rolison in latest attempt to turnaround a Rockies reliever
Finding upside in Rolison's profile is much tougher task than the trades for Johnson and Kinley. Rolison carried a 10.4% walk rate and just 13% strikeout rate, and his stuff isn't what you would classify as overpowering - fastball averaged 92.9 mph last season. Even more concerning is the fact that his home/road splits weren't all that different.
Atlanta may be expecting a turnaround for Rolison could simply be because he will not be pitching half his games in Coors Field anymore is unwise. However, Rolison's limited sample size did signal he excels in generating ground balls (48.6% groundball rate), which could be the very reason why Anthopoulos brought him to Atlanta.
The Braves have more pressing needs on the roster at the moment, but expect Anthopoulos to sprinkle in flyer trades like this in an effort to grab as many bullpen arms as possible over the next three months. It's likely the Braves will address the closer spot before adding relievers that you can put in pen to the roster.