Why Alex Anthopoulos Was Comfortable Walking Away

Atlanta's president of baseball operations defended a deadline strategy built around long-term value rather than winning the internet on deadline day.

Every trade deadline ends the same way: Somebody wins.

Or at least that’s what the internet decides about 30 seconds after the final deal becomes official.

Alex Anthopoulos doesn’t care.

In his first comments after Monday’s deadline, Atlanta’s president of baseball operations repeatedly returned to the same idea: the Braves weren’t trying to win the deadline. They were trying to make themselves better without sacrificing the next wave of talent that keeps championship windows open.

Was this the right way to approach the trade deadline? He feels it is, while many in the fanbase say it wasn’t. And it’s likely that several who disapprove will point to an early playoff exit (if it happens) as evidence that AA erred here, but that’s not how it works.

(Remember: A decision is right or wrong when judged with the information you had at the time, not with the benefit of hindsight.)

Alex Anthopoulos certainly thinks it was the right move.

Let’s talk about it.

The Braves weren’t shopping for one specific thing

One of the more surprising takeaways from Anthopoulos’ press conference was that the Braves never entered the deadline believing they had to acquire a postseason starter.

Anthopoulos repeatedly emphasized that the organization wasn’t chasing one specific need.

“We did not go into the deadline with, ‘Hey, we have to get this, we have to get that. We’re just trying to make the team better,’” he said, noting that the bullpen and offense were every bit as much a part of that equation as the rotation.

And ultimately, he’s comfortable with the collection of pitchers they have. “Since the All-Star break, I think we’ve been fifth in ERA in MLB. First two months of the season, we were top five in ERA. Obviously, in the middle we weren’t.”

The challenge with regular-season ERA is that October isn’t the regular season. The caliber of opponent changes dramatically, and it’s still difficult to envision anyone besides Chris Sale consistently turning over a playoff lineup three times.

October, in this scenario, becomes less about the quality of one starter and more about assembling enough quality pitching to cover 27 outs.

The process mattered more than winning the deadline

“We said ‘no’ to a lot of things.”

That line drew a lot of double-takes on social media when it was relayed at the time, but it reflects the prices of the few true impact players the team identified at the deadline.

Anthopoulos explained that while they’d like to get deals done, sometimes the best deal is one you say ‘no’ to. “A few years ago we could’ve gotten one of the elite starters in the game, but Drake Baldwin would’ve been going out the door […] In past years, there’s been guys like Harris you get asked about when he’s in A ball, or he’s in Rome, and you say no.”

“You’re gonna do what you feel is best for the club, and you’re not gonna force a deal. So, you know, we said no to a lot of things, and that’s not easy to do, but you have to do what you feel is right for the organization.”

Last week, we talked about why the Braves could afford to trade prospects.

Monday, Alex reminded everyone that doesn’t mean every prospect.

When asked about the fact that teams perceived to have much weaker farm systems (with San Diego specifically mentioned) were able to add multiple starters, Alex agreed with the strength of Atlanta’s farm system and briefly detailed the cost/benefit analysis there.

“People asked about a lot of our top players, and there’s a bunch that we made available for certain players that we felt were impact, difference-making guys. And then there were other times that we were asked for some of those guys that we said no.”

If there's one thing even Anthopoulos' biggest critics have to concede, it's that this front office has done an exceptional job identifying which prospects to keep and which to move.

If Anthopoulos is right, the payoff won't come in 2026. History suggests it usually comes later.

Anthopoulos also pushed back on another common assumption around the deadline: that acquiring players automatically makes a team better.

“In theory, you’re getting better. You’re adding to what you already have,” Anthopoulos said. “The player you add may get hurt or may not play well […] every GM will tell you, ‘I added because I thought this made us better.’ So absolutely, people that added got better. Sure. How much? One percent? Five percent? Ten percent?”

It’s an important distinction. Fans tend to view deadline deals as certainty and prospects as risk. Anthopoulos sees risk on both sides of the equation. The prospect you refuse to trade may never become a productive major leaguer, but the veteran you acquire may never provide the impact you envisioned either.

There’s no single October blueprint

Anthopoulos put a number on the Braves' search for an impact starter: two.

He specifically mentioned Tarik Skubal, the two-time reigning AL Cy Young winner who was traded to the Dodgers on Saturday, and referenced only one other player at this deadline that fit the description.

While Anthopoulos declined to confirm who it was, updated reporting from Monday night confirmed it was Jacob DeGrom. The Texas Rangers approached DeGrom about facilitating a trade to Atlanta after overtures from the Braves, and DeGrom declined, citing his no-trade clause. The veteran expressed that it was more about not leaving Arlington at all, rather than not coming to Atlanta specifically, but the only other impact starter the Braves identified ultimately stayed in Texas.

That left Atlanta where Anthopoulos never wanted to be: entering October with one unquestioned postseason starter and a series of decisions behind him. But Anthopoulos acknowledged that not even a postseason starter gets a long leash in October. “Some starters go deep, they’re rolling, and some of them get yanked and everyone debates, should he have been pulled? Should he have stayed in? That’s the beauty of postseason baseball: are you making a decision?”

Anthopoulos even pointed to injured setup man Robert Suarez when discussing October bullpen construction, saying he’d already told the veteran to resist rushing back because the organization is focused on having him available in October, not simply getting him on the mound in August.

That’s also why Didier Fuentes suddenly becomes one of the more fascinating pitchers on Atlanta’s roster. If the Braves aren’t built around two traditional postseason workhorses, they’re going to need pitchers capable of bridging multiple innings in high-leverage spots. The postseason is a reminder that the most valuable reliever isn’t always the one who records the final three outs; it’s the one trusted with the biggest ones. Fuentes’ ability to air it out for more than one inning gives Atlanta another potential way to navigate those 27 outs, even if he never takes a traditional postseason start or closes out a game.

Anthopoulos may ultimately prove to be right. He may also prove to be wrong.

If the Braves fall short this October, it won't be because they abandoned their organizational philosophy at the deadline. Quite the opposite. They doubled down on it.

Rather than chasing headlines, Atlanta bet on disciplined evaluations, internal development and the belief that saying “no” to the wrong trade is every bit as important as saying “yes” to the right one.

The only thing left now is to find out whether that bet pays off.