If you are the Atlanta Braves, you should probably be ready to jump on opportunities to address roster holes that won’t break the bank. The Braves can certainly spend, but they generally prefer to spread money throughout their roster and getting a bargain answer to one roster question means there is more cash to spend on other spots. At first glance, it seemed like Cody Ponce should be a Braves target when you consider position, projected cost, and potential upside.
We know that the Braves want more rotation depth even with Hurston Waldrep’s emergence and we know that the Braves probably don’t want to sign anyone with a qualifying offer attached as that would cost Atlanta a first round pick. That instantly made a middle-tier free agent starter the most likely demographic for Atlanta and Ponce may have been the best combination of price and potential upside on the market.
Unfortunately, Ponce landed with the Blue Jays on a three year, $30 million deal on Tuesday and it feels like the Braves may have missed out on a relatively easy rotation solution.
Braves should have been more in play for Cody Ponce given his contract terms
Now, three years and $30 million is a real investment, especially in a guy that spent the last few years pitching in Korea. It is also a bit more than experts were predicting for Ponce. However, $10 million a year for a probably middle-of-the-rotation starter is a steal these days. Obviously there is some risk that Ponce will turn back into a pumpkin once he is back in MLB, but this is the type of gamble that Atlanta needs to make.
Ponce is just one name to sign elsewhere and we can all agree that Dylan Cease’s deal from Toronto would have been a pretty big overpay by the Braves. However, the pitching market is getting thinner and thinner ahead of the Winter Meetings. As the action picks up, it doesn’t really feel like the Braves are being as aggressive as we initially thought they would be.
The Braves do have some factors to consider including the health of some of their arms as well as what they plan to do with JR Ritchie at the start of the 2026 season. However, the longer they sit back and let the best deals pass them by, the more likely that a repeat of the mistakes of last offseason when Atlanta largely sat out the market seem destined to repeat themselves.